OAN Geraldyn Berry
10:01 AM – Friday, May 12, 2023
A St. Petersburg woman who wrote on President Vladimir Putin’s parents’ grave that they had “raised a freak and a killer” has received a two-year sentence with probation on Thursday from a Russian court.
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Irina Tsybaneva, 60, was convicted of desecrating graves out of political animosity by the court. Her attorney said that she chose not to enter a guilty plea since she had not physically desecrated the tomb or sought attention for it.
On the night before Putin’s birthday in October, Tsybaneva wrote on the guarded tomb, “Parents of a crazy, take him to your home. He is such a nuisance and a hassle. Everybody prays for his demise. Putin must perish. You gave birth to a freak and a murderer.
Putin’s deployment of soldiers into Ukraine in February 2022 marked the beginning of a government crackdown on opposition unlike anything seen since the Soviet period.
While Tsybaneva admitted leaving the message, she claimed that her actions were driven by sadness rather than political animosity after viewing the news about Russia’s war with Ukraine, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe.
“After seeing the news, I was overwhelmed by fear, I felt very unwell,” Tsybaneva said in court. “The fear was so strong that I could not cope with it, and this is possibly my fault. I barely remember writing it [the note], I don’t have any recollection of the text itself. I realize that I succumbed to my emotions and committed an irrational act. I am sorry that my actions could offend or affect someone.”
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By: OAN
