Russian streamer Anna Bazhutova, known on Twitch as Yokobovich, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for livestreaming witness accounts of alleged atrocities committed by the Russian army during its occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bucha., says Bazhutova was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army on her Twitch channel.
Russia outlawed"discrediting" or spreading"false" information about its military in 2022 shortly after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine; in 2023 it expanded that legislation to encompass virtually any group fighting for Russia, including mercenary units like the Wagner Group. The Moscow Times noted in athat the crackdown"has led to the silencing of nearly all anti-war statements and news that clashes with the Kremlin’s narrative of the war.
"Concerning the war crimes in Bucha, the accusation of publishing 'knowingly false' information is untenable, since international investigations under the auspices of the United Nations, where Russia is still a member, point to the guilt of the Russian side." Bazhutova's lawyer described the sentence as"harsh" and said they will appeal. Bazhutova herself was someone more pointed in her comments."It's f**ked up," she said while in the witness box."It's disgusting and vile." From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters.