The text reads: ‘Sasha Skochilenko was sentenced to 7 years in jail.’ Screenshot from the YouTube video from the Dozhd TV channel. Fair use. When the Russian invasion of Ukraine had just started in February 2022, Alexandra Skochilenko, an artist from Saint Petersburg, Russia, on March 31, 2022, changed several price tags in a grocery store, Perekrestok, to notes with anti-war statements. She was kept in custody for over a year, and has now been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Russian court for “knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army.” Global Voices translated and edited for clarity her speech before the court hearings on November 16, 2023. The original speech was published by Novaya Gazeta Your Honor, dear court, My criminal case is so unusual and absurd that it was opened exactly on April 1. Sometimes, I feel like I'll enter the courtroom, and suddenly, confetti will rain down, and everyone will stand and shout, “It's a prank!” The staff at pre-trial detention center No. 5 are amazed, questioning if this is really what people are jailed for now. Even supporters of the SVO [“special military operation,” as the war on Ukraine is officially called in Russia] don't think I deserve prison for my actions. My case led my investigator to quit before it closed. In a private talk with my lawyer, he confessed he didn't join the investigative committee for cases like mine, Sasha Skochilenko's. Audio recording of Skochilenko's speech (in Russian), on the YouTube channel Nastoyaschee Vremya He left my case, which could have boosted his career, and, instead, he left for a job at a store. I deeply respect his decision; we both acted according to our consciences. Thanks to my investigators and prosecutors, the information I shared reached thousands worldwide. If not for my arrest, only a few individuals, like a grandmother, a cashier, and a security guard at Perekrestok, would have known it. According to my case files, the so-called price tags hardly affected two of these three individuals. If these five papers are so dangerous, why start this trial, repeating these statements, alleged by the prosecutor to threaten public safety? Did they cause an earth-shattering event, a revolution, or peace at the front? No, none of this happened. What, then, is the issue? The state prosecutor repeatedly claimed my act was a grave danger to society and the state. Does our prosecutor have such little faith in our nation that he believes five pieces of paper can destroy our society and state? When someone starts a military rebellion, causing huge damage, their case is opened and closed in a day [She refers to the military coup by Evgenii Prigozhin in June 2023]. My actions hurt no one, yet I've been jailed for over a year among murderers and other serious criminals. Is the supposed harm I caused comparable to these crimes? Every verdict sends a message. You might agree that I showed bravery and honesty, acting according to my moral compass. In investigator lingo, jailing someone is “taking a prisoner.” I didn't give in or break under threat or suffering. What message does my conviction send to our people? Does it say to give up, be dishonest, admit to false guilt, or ignore empathy for our soldiers? Does it say our society can crumble due to five pieces of paper? Is this the message in times of crisis and stress? My trial, widely followed in Russia and globally, will make history, regardless of the verdict. You're not judging a terrorist, extremist, or even a political activist. You're judging a pacifist. I am a pacifist, valuing life above all, believing in peaceful conflict resolution. I can't harm a spider, let alone a person. Peace is brought by pacifists, not warriors. Jailing pacifists only delays peace. Life is sacred. It's resilient, astounding, and the essence of our existence. From small cells to great whales, life thrives in every corner of Earth, its most complex form being humans — conscious, mortal beings. Yet, human life is fleeting, a brief moment we all wish to extend. Ask someone who's survived cancer about life's value. Our loved ones lost to COVID-19 remind us of life's fragility. Now, young lives are lost again, bringing more death, grief, and pain. Label my beliefs as you wish, but I'll stand by them. The state prosecutor has his beliefs, different from mine. Yet, I wouldn't jail him for his views. I apologize if my actions offended anyone. My jail time, among diverse people, showed me everyone has their truth, including views on the SVO. The tragedy is our failure to accept differing truths, dividing society, breaking families, and distancing us from peace. Every person here ultimately seeks peace.