Human Rights

Teen street musician faces endless jail cycle in Russia

After performing anti-war songs, Diana Loginova has become the latest target of a "carousel" of minor charges.

Lead singer of pop band Stoptime Diana Loginova (C), who was detained after publicly singing songs by bands known for their opposition to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, attends court hearings in Saint Petersburg on October 28, 2025. [Olga Maltseva/AFP]
Lead singer of pop band Stoptime Diana Loginova (C), who was detained after publicly singing songs by bands known for their opposition to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, attends court hearings in Saint Petersburg on October 28, 2025. [Olga Maltseva/AFP]

By AFP |

A Russian court sent an 18-year-old street musician who performed anti-war songs back to jail on October 29 after finding her guilty of two more offences, her lawyer told AFP.

Diana Loginova, a music student known by the stage name Naoko, was arrested last month and sentenced to 13 days' detention after her performances of songs by exiled Russian artists Monetochka and Noize MC in Saint Petersburg went viral.

She was due for release on October 28 but was immediately taken back into custody and sentenced the following day to 13 more days of jail for "disrupting public order" and "petty hooliganism," her lawyer Maria Zyryanova told AFP.

A spokesman for Russian human rights monitor OVD-Info said she and her bandmates were now caught in jail "carousel," a practice whereby prosecutors lob a string of minor charges against defendants to keep them in constant custody.

Lead singer of pop band Stoptime Diana Loginova, who was detained after publicly singing songs by bands known for their opposition to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, attends court hearings in Saint Petersburg on October 28, 2025. [Olga Maltseva/AFP]
Lead singer of pop band Stoptime Diana Loginova, who was detained after publicly singing songs by bands known for their opposition to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, attends court hearings in Saint Petersburg on October 28, 2025. [Olga Maltseva/AFP]

"This could theoretically continue indefinitely. Unfortunately, the law does not limit the number of such arrests that can be made in a row," Dmitry Anisimov told AFP.

Since Loginova's arrest, a flurry of videos in support of her and her band Stoptime have flooded TikTok, while other young street performers have expressed solidarity with her in public, despite the risks of fines or jail sentences themselves.

Loginova thanked her supporters ahead of her sentencing on Wednesday, telling Russian media: "Many people are on our side."

Her band's guitarist and drummer were also jailed earlier this month and remain in custody, according to Russian media outlets.

Almost all Russian opposition figures are now in prison or in exile and public criticism of the authorities or the Ukraine war are rare.

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