Anna Bazhutova
{{Short description|Russian streamer and political prisoner}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Anna Bazhutova
| native_name = {{nobold|Анна Бажутова}}
| native_name_lang = ru
| nickname = YokoBovich
| birth_date = {{Circa|1993}}
| nationality = Russian
| occupation = Streamer
}}
Anna Bazhutova ({{Langx|ru|Анна Бажутова}}; {{Circa|1993}}), known on Twitch as YokoBovich, is a Russian streamer. Bazhutova was arrested in 2023 and subsequently sentenced to five and a half years in prison for sharing testimonies of the Bucha massacre in Ukraine on her Twitch channel. The Memorial human rights organization has classified her as a political prisoner.
Detention
In April 2022, Bazhutova made a live stream on Twitch that included witnesses to the Bucha massacre, which occurred during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and residents of the city. In June 2023, pro-war Russian bloggers republished the stream and filed complaints with the police. Two months after the complaint, police searched Buzhutova's home and confiscated her personal electronic devices.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-05 |title=Russian Twitch Streamer Jailed 5.5 Years for Bucha Testimonies |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/06/05/russian-twitch-streamer-jailed-55-years-for-bucha-testimonies-a85326 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=2024-06-05 |title=Russian Twitch streamer sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/russian-twitch-streamer-sentenced-to-more-than-5-years-in-prison-for-criticizing-the-invasion-of-ukraine/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |language=en |agency=PC Gamer}}{{Cite news |date=2024-06-05 |title=Russian Internet Streamer Jailed For War Reports |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-streamer-sentenced-war-reports/32980392.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |language=en |agency=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-05 |title=Russian blogger jailed for over 5 years for Bucha livestream |url=https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russian_blogger_jailed_for_over_5_years_for_Bucha_livestream_999.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Space War}}
On 5 June 2024, the Ostankinsky District Court found Anna guilty of “spreading false information” about the Russian military and sentenced her to five and a half years in prison. Bazhutova's defense stated that it would appeal the decision. The Memorial human rights organization has classified her as a political prisoner, stating that her case violates the right to freedom of expression and seeks to silence critics of the war in Russia.{{Cite web |last=Lloria |first=Alberto |date=2024-06-06 |title=Condenada a más de 5 años de cárcel por criticar la guerra en Ucrania. Una streamer se ha convertido en presa política en Rusia |url=https://www.3djuegos.com/tecnologia/noticias/esto-repugnante-vil-streamer-se-ha-convertido-presa-politica-rusia-criticar-guerra-ucrania |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=3DJuegos}}
See also
References
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazhutova, Anna}}
Category:Russian political prisoners
Category:Russian Twitch (service) streamers