FILE - Sasha Skochilenko, a 32-year-old artist and musician, stands in a defendant's cage in a courtroom during a hearing in the Vasileostrovsky district court in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 13, 2022. (AP Photo, File)TALLINN, Estonia -- Russian authorities on Wednesday demanded an eight-year prison term for an artist and musician who was jailed after speaking out against Moscow's war in Ukraine. Skochilenko is on trial, and the prosecution delivered closing arguments Wednesday, asking the court to convict her and sentence her to eight years in prison. Almost daily court hearings in recent months put additional pressure on Skochilenko — the tight schedule often prevented her from getting meals. Russia's most prominent human rights group and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Memorial, has declared Skochilenko a political prisoner.

Source: ABC News November 09, 2023 02:02 UTC