Russian schoolgirl, 17, is jailed for scrawling ‘death to the regime’ graffiti

Lyubov Lizunova was convicted under Putin’s new anti-terrorism and extremism laws (Picture: Lyubov Lizunova/east2west news)

A Russian schoolgirl has been jailed for three and a half years for scrawling ‘death to the regime’ in graffiti.

Lyubov Lizunova, 17, was jailed under Vladimir Putin’s new anti-terrorism and extremism laws.

Lyobov, who was 16 when she was arrested, is the youngest female to be convicted since the legislation was brought in.

She was also accused of endorsing the arson of military registration and enlistment offices.

The draconian new laws were introduced to muffle criticism of the 71-year-old dictator and his war against Ukraine, which has cost both sides thousands of lives.

Lyobov, from Chita in Siberia, was convicted of ‘calling for extremism and posting news about “direct anti-war action”’ – which amounts to terrorism in the eyes of the Kremlin.

‌She was accused of scrawling graffiti with her boyfriend, Alexander Snezhkov, then 19, and exchanging other messages with another man, Vladislav Vishnevsky, 23.

‌All three have been added to the Kremlin’s lists of extremists and terrorists.

‌’We agreed on the slogan “Death to the Regime” on the spot,’ said Lyubov, speaking after her arrest.

‌’We drew it in a not very crowded place, some garages, but they noticed us.

‌’We think we were followed.’

She added: ‘I do not consider our views as terrorist, extremist, because we support only peaceful resistance.

‌’Our goals are freedom, equality, fraternity, justice of some kind.

‌’And, of course, we don’t want to harm anyone with this.’

‌Snezhkov was jailed for five years and Vishnevsky was ordered to do one and a half years of community service.

Lyobov said her and her boyfriend’s views aren’t extremist – they just want freedom (Picture: Lyubov Lizunova/east2west news)

‌Lyobov, who was initially held under house arrest, said she may have been watched by the secret services because she had burned a Russian flag at the age of 14.

‌She was initially accused of vandalism because of the graffiti.

‌Then, after studying the phones of the group this was changed to calling for extremism.

‌’If you ask a person if he wants to be free, they will always answer yes,’ she said.

‌’Nobody wants to be a slave.’

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