A leading German artist has accused Russia of “making a fool of itself” after a Moscow court sentenced him – in absentia – to eight and a half years in prison for satirical carnival floats making fun of president Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine.
For years Jacques Tilly’s outsized artworks have been eyecatchers at Rhineland pre-Lenten carnival parades. Tilly’s work has taken on an edge in recent years, with one year’s float showing Putin bathing in a bath of Ukrainian blood. Another work showed Putin and Russian orthodox Patriarch Kirill sharing an intimate moment.
On Thursday judge Konstantin Otshirov found Tilly guilty of offending religious feelings and spreading false information about the Russian armed forces.
As well as a prison sentence, the court ordered Tilly to pay a fine equivalent to about €2,000. He has also been banned from working in Russia for four years.
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Tilly said he had “no idea what it was all about”. He was not informed by Russia about the case, he says, and he never spoke to his court-appointed defence lawyer.
“They don’t even see how embarrassing it is for them, how much they are afraid of satirical criticism,” he said.
“It’s clear to all that the Russian regime is afraid of paper maché figures.”
The ruling was criticised harshly by the German foreign ministry while the German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said he “condemns deeply this absurd spectacle and will continue to stand for freedom of expression, artistic freedom and, with that, the freedom of satire”.
The ruling has no practical impact on Tilly, though he has been advised to avoid countries with closer ties – and extradition agreements – with Russia.
