Ally of Russian opposition figure Navalny given 2.5 years in prison for ‘distributing porn’ after sharing Rammstein music video

The former coordinator of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s Arkhangelsk headquarters has been sentenced to 2.5 years behind bars for distributing pornographic materials after sharing a video by German band Rammstein.

Arkhangelsk is located in the north of Russia, around 1,200km away from Moscow.

Andrey Borovikov, who pleaded not guilty, was found to have distributed “pornographic materials on the internet” after reposting the music video from German metal group Rammstein’s 2009 hit ‘Pussy’.

The clip gained notoriety in the 2000s for showing uncensored sexual intercourse.

There are strong laws against illegal production and sharing of pornography in Russia, and those who fall foul of the law can face up to six years in prison, unless it is deemed that it has “cultural value.” State experts decided that this designation doesn’t apply to the Rammstein clip.

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Borovikov posted the video back in 2014, but became the subject of a criminal case in September 2020. According to the Arkhangelsk activist, the video was shared by many people online, but he was targeted for political reasons.

According to the Moscow director of UK-based human rights NGO Amnesty International, the case against Borovikov is “utterly absurd.”

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