Refuge from Russia: Russian poets convicted in the so-called “Mayakovsky case”

In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami and Praveen examine the case of Russian poets Artyom Kamardin, Egor Shtovba, and Nikolai Dayneko, whom Amnesty International has recognized as prisoners of conscience. Their alleged offense was reading anti-war poetry in public at the Vladimir Mayakovsky monument in Moscow in September 2022.The episode explains how peaceful expression was turned into a national security case under Russian laws on inciting hatred and public calls against state security. It also covers the harsh sentences imposed, allegations of torture and inhumane treatment, and Amnesty’s call to release the poets and overturn their convictions.This is a story about censorship, dissent, and the danger of criminalizing words.