Russia jails stand-up comic Artemy Ostani over war joke
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Russian stand-up comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to over five years in a penal colony by a Moscow court on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, after being convicted of inciting hatred. The charges stem from a 2025 comedy routine where Ostanin joked about a war veteran who lost his legs, a performance that went viral and sparked outrage among Russian nationalists. Ostanin was also found guilty of offending Christians with a separate joke about Jesus. In addition to the prison sentence, Ostanin received a fine and was placed on a government list of designated "terrorists and extremists." He denounced the proceedings as unjust and denied his joke referred to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
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AI-ExtractedOstanin denied that his joke referred to Russians in combat in Ukraine.
Ostanin was fined 300,000 rubles ($3,900) and placed on a list of "terrorists and extremists".
Judge Olesya Mendeleyeva: "The final sentence for Ostanin is imprisonment for five years and nine months..."
Ostanin was convicted of inciting hatred for a joke about a 'legless' war veteran.
Artemy Ostanin sentenced to more than five years in a penal colony for a joke.
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