A TikTok star was jailed for 10 months along with his girlfriend for engaging in an oral sex act in front of the Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square. Tajik national, Ruslan Murodzhonzoda, and his Russian girlfriend Anastasia Chistova imitated the act of oral sex in front of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The couple was found guilty of "offending religious sentiment" by Moscow's Tverskoi district court Friday, October 29.
The couple was detained last month in September after posting a picture that showed Chistova kneeling in front of him near the cathedral in Moscow's Red Square. Chistova could be seen wearing a Russian police jacket in the picture. It was captioned 'The Labor Code is not the Criminal [Code], you can break it'. The bust was part of the minor transgression in Russia amid leader Vladimir Putin's strong attitude towards conservative agenda.
The Tajik TikToker would be deported
The duo was detained for 10 days for defying the police after posting the photo. The TikToker apologized for the lewd picture and paid a $71 fine. "Anastasia Chistova and Ruslani Murodzhonzoda committed public actions expressing clear disrespect for society," a court said during the sentencing on Friday.
Ruslan Murodzhonzoda, who posts mostly prank videos on Social Media, would be deported to Tajikistan after serving the sentence, it was believed. His girlfriend, Anastasia Chistova was described as an Instagram model by the media.
'10 months behind bars for a joke'
Russian nationals expressed discontent over the blogger's arrest and called it "madness". "Madness, just madness. They DID nothing. It's just a picture," one person wrote on Twitter. Managing Editor of the English-language edition of news outlet Meduza, Kevin Rothrock expressed astonishment over getting 10 months "behind bars for a joke."
"This prank, a simulated act of oral sex with St. Basil's Cathedral in the background, has just resulted in 10-month prison sentences for its two young participants. Nearly a year behind bars, for a joke," he said. According to the top rights group Memorial, the number of political prisoners in Russia had risen to 420 from 362 last year.
