The Russian Orthodox Church plans to petition for a lighter sentence for Ksenia Belousova, jailed for offending religious believers.
Key facts
- •Ksenia Belousova was sentenced to three years and 25 days in prison for offending the feelings of religious believers.
- •The charges stemmed from a video she posted on Instagram showing a hookah with a bowl shaped like a traditional Russian Easter pastry.
- •The Russian Orthodox Church will petition the appellate court to reduce her sentence.
- •Belousova had previously received a three-year probation sentence for drug possession in August.
The Russian Orthodox Church will petition a Moscow appeals court for a lighter sentence for Ksenia Belousova, who was recently imprisoned for making a hookah out of a traditional Orthodox Easter cake. Belousova was sentenced to three years and 25 days in prison for offending the feelings of religious believers. The charges stemmed from a video she posted on Instagram.
Background of the Case
Belousova was initially sentenced to 200 hours of community service, but the judge combined the conviction with a three-year probation sentence she received in August for drug possession, resulting in a prison term. A representative for the Russian Orthodox Church, Vakhtang Kipshidze, said church officials were initially surprised by the length of the prison term, but found it was due to a repeat offense.
Church's Position
Kipshidze defended Russian laws for criminalizing offending the feelings of religious believers as reasonable and justified, citing the European Court of Human Rights' protection of religious sentiments. He also stated that the church will petition the appellate court to reduce Belousova's sentence, as she has expressed remorse in a letter.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
