Russian woman jailed for anti-war message on ballot paper

Moscow: A woman from Saint Petersburg has been sentenced to eight days in jail for writing "no to war" on a ballot paper during Russia's recent presidential election, in protest against President Vladimir Putin's Ukraine campaign.

The three-day vote over the weekend saw Putin running unchallenged for a fifth Kremlin term, extending his rule until at least 2030. The election witnessed widespread ballot spoiling, prompting Putin to warn in his victory speech that Russians who engaged in such acts "have to be dealt with."

The Dzerzhinsky district court in Saint Petersburg handed down the sentence to Alexandra Chiryatyeva, along with a fine of 40,000 rubles ($440 euros). She was found guilty of hooliganism and "discrediting the Russian armed forces."

According to the court, Chiryatyeva wrote "no to war" on the back of a voting ballot with a red marker before placing it in the ballot box. The act was deemed as damaging state property and discrediting the Russian armed forces, reported AFP.

The court stated that Chiryatyeva committed the act on the final day of the three-day voting period, coinciding with calls from Russia's opposition groups for protests against an election where Putin's victory was inevitable.

The election, criticized by the West and independent Russian election observers as one of the most corrupt in post-Soviet history, took place amidst a crackdown on dissent by Moscow as Russian troops continue fighting in Ukraine.