A Russian court has jailed an 18-year-old street musician for the third time in a month after she performed anti-war songs in Saint Petersburg, in what rights groups say is part of the Kremlin’s relentless crackdown on dissent.
Diana Loginova, a music student who performs under the stage name Naoko, was sentenced to another 13 days in jail on Tuesday after being found guilty of “organising a mass gathering.” Her so-called offence was performing pop-up street concerts featuring music by exiled Russian artists Monetochka and Noize MC — both known for their criticism of the war in Ukraine.
The performances, held in public squares and metro underpasses, went viral on Russian social media, capturing the imagination of many young people who see her as a rare symbol of peaceful protest in a country where public opposition has been effectively silenced.
A Cycle of Arrests
Loginova’s latest detention marks the third time she has been arrested since October. After serving two separate 13-day sentences, she was immediately re-arrested each time upon release — a pattern rights lawyers say amounts to “judicial harassment.”
“She has become trapped in what we call a ‘jail carousel’ — where authorities file minor, consecutive charges to keep someone locked up indefinitely,” said a human rights advocate familiar with her case.
In court, Loginova appeared calm as the judge read out the sentence. An AFP correspondent present in the courtroom reported that her band’s guitarist, Alexander Orlov, was also jailed for 13 days on similar charges. Orlov sat quietly between his lawyer and a masked police officer during the brief hearing.
Growing Support Despite Crackdown
Since Loginova’s arrest, videos and messages of solidarity have flooded TikTok and Telegram, with fellow musicians, fans, and human rights groups calling for her release. Some street singers in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Perm have even staged impromptu performances of the same banned songs in protest — risking arrest themselves.
Independent Russian media reported that in Perm, a court sentenced 20-year-old Yekaterina Romanova (also known as Yekaterina Ostasheva) to 15 days in jail after she performed in support of Loginova. Romanova had already served a seven-day sentence earlier this month for the same act.
Despite the growing risk, small acts of defiance like these continue to emerge across Russia, often shared anonymously online. “They’re using music to express what most Russians are afraid to say out loud,” one activist wrote on Telegram. “And that scares the authorities more than anything.”
Censorship and Fear
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has passed sweeping laws banning all public criticism of the army or President Vladimir Putin. Even calling the war a “war” — instead of the government-approved term “special military operation” — can lead to imprisonment.
Thousands of people have been detained, fined, or sentenced under these new laws, which human rights groups say echo Soviet-era censorship. Artists, journalists, and academics have been among the hardest hit.
Loginova’s case has drawn particular attention because of her age and her peaceful form of expression. Videos of her singing softly in underground tunnels — guitar in hand, surrounded by small crowds — have become symbols of quiet resistance in an increasingly repressive state.
“This young woman’s courage shows the power of art, even under tyranny,” said a statement by OVD-Info, a Moscow-based human rights organisation tracking political arrests.
Unbroken Spirit
Despite repeated arrests, Loginova’s supporters say she remains determined to continue performing. “She told us she’ll keep singing when she’s free,” said her friend and fellow musician, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals. “She believes music is stronger than fear.”
While the Kremlin insists that the crackdown is necessary to “protect national stability,” observers say cases like Loginova’s highlight the growing desperation of Russian authorities to suppress even the smallest signs of dissent.
As one social media post read simply:
“You can jail a singer, but you cannot silence her song.”
