Darya Kozyreva, previously sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, now faces a new protocol under the same article. The case was registered on May 30, according to the St. Petersburg courts’ press service.

The new charges stem from Kozyreva’s final statement in court during her initial trial. In that statement, she again quoted Taras Shevchenko, mirroring her actions during her arrest in February 2024.

Kozyreva’s initial detention and subsequent arrest occurred in February 2024 when she stood near a monument to Taras Shevchenko holding a poster with a quote from his poem. The criminal case also referenced an interview she gave to a media outlet designated as a foreign agent. The initial case was briefly returned to the prosecutor’s office for clarification on the specific words that allegedly discredited the Russian army.

Prior to the criminal case, Kozyreva had already been subject to an administrative protocol for the same offense. Under Russian law, two such offenses can lead to criminal prosecution.

Kozyreva’s defense team maintains her innocence and had planned to appeal the initial verdict. The 19-year-old former St. Petersburg State University medical student is currently in pre-trial detention.