Ostanin called the verdict illegal.

The Moscow City Court upheld the extension of comedian Artemy Ostanin's pretrial detention. In court, he called the sentence for his monologues about a legless man and an imaginary dialogue with Jesus Christ unlawful.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on February 3, Yeysk comedian Artemy Ostanin, speaking at a Moscow court hearing, denied the charges and called the victims in the case "professional informers." However, he apologized to those who might have been offended by his performance. Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to 5 years and 9 months for his monologues about a legless man and an imaginary dialogue with Jesus Christ.

The appeal against Ostanin's latest extension of detention was heard in the Moscow City Court, where he was able to comment on his sentence, Mediazona* reported today.

The comedian said his actions did not constitute a crime. "If the court is so concerned about at least someone being in prison, I have a constructive solution. Prosecutor Malysheva committed a crime against me by issuing an indictment against an innocent person," he stated.

The judge interrupted Ostanin, saying that the court "is not a criminal prosecution body" and should only speak about "disagreement with the actions."

"Both Prosecutor Malysheva and Judge Mendeleyeva, in addition to violating all my rights, also committed a crime. This is all connected to the illegal detention of a person in a place of detention, which includes a pretrial detention center, no matter how much you try to deny it. I offer you a constructive solution: release me at least to house arrest, and ideally, release me in the courtroom," Ostanin concluded his speech.

Key points about the beating and arrest of comedian Artemy Ostanin

The comedian recalled that the Belarusian security forces who "kidnapped him from the airport" and tortured him "got away with it, even though they are outright criminals."

Moscow City Court Judge Ksenia Panova ruled Ostanin's detention lawful.

The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that in June 2025, human rights activists recognized Artemy Ostanin as a political prisoner. Ostanin is charged with publicly inciting hatred or enmity "with the use or threat of violence," although his monologue about the legless beggar in the metro did not mention violence or threats. Without violence or threats of violence, Ostanin's actions should be classified as an administrative offense with a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail, the human rights activists noted, calling for an investigation into the comedian's allegations of torture and humiliation after his arrest.

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** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.