Russia student detained for an Instagram story during the Ukraine conflict

Olesya Krivtsova, a university student, has missed numerous classes.

This is as a result of Olesya, 20, being placed under home arrest. On her leg, she wears an electronic tag. Police can watch everything she does.

Her purported offense? Olesya was detained because of her social media posts opposing war. One of them dealt with the explosion that occurred on the bridge connecting Russia and the occupied Crimea in last October.

According to Olesya, who spoke to the BBC, “I posted an Instagram story on the bridge, commenting on how Ukrainians were thrilled with what had happened.”

She had also shared a post on the war from a friend.

The drama then started.

“Olesya explains, “I was on the phone with my mother when I heard the front door open. Numerous officers arrived. My phone was taken away, and I was yelled at to lay on the ground.”

Olesya was accused of backing terrorists and defaming the Russian military. She might spend up to 10 years behind bars.

In court, Olesya Krivtsova
Olesya is only permitted to leave the house to go to court, image caption
Olesya says, “I never thought someone could get such a hefty prison sentence for writing something online. I had heard rumors of absurd rulings in Russia, but I didn’t pay any mind and kept speaking out.

Olesya, an undergraduate at the Northern Federal University in Arkhangelsk, has now been included on the official list of terrorists and extremists maintained by Russia.

“I thought it was crazy when I realized I’d been put on the same list as school shooters and the Islamic State group,” recounts Olesya.

She is not permitted to use the phone or the internet while she is under house arrest.

Olesya has the arresting tattoo of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a spider with the Orwellian phrase, “Big Brother is watching you,” on her right leg.

It seems that in Olesya’s instance, her classmates were the ones keeping an eye on her rather than Big Brother.