Russia's invasion of Ukraine officially began on 24 February 2022, although the conflict between the countries had been ongoing for years. Poland, alongside most European countries and Western powers, has provided substantial support to Ukraine and continues to do so.

However, public sentiment is never entirely unified. There are exceptions in every group, as seen in Poland, where individuals, such as streamers from the Rodacy Kamraci party, spread pro-Russian propaganda. On the Russian side, dissent also exists, but breaking away from Putin's narrative in the East is far more courageous and costly than expressing sympathy for the aggressor from the safety of the other side of the border.

Streamer Anna Bazhutova live-streamed a witness account of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers during the occupation of Bucha. According to The Moscow Times, she was found guilty of "spreading false information about the Russian army". The incident is believed to have occurred on 2 June 2023, although there is some disagreement, with Radio Free Europe reporting that it happened as early as 2022.

The Ukrainian government's narrative aligns with the claims made in Anna Bazhutova's material. Ukraine reported mass killings and aggression by Russian soldiers retreating from Bucha, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. Russia, however, rejected these accusations, officially stating that they were merely "manipulations by the West".

A complaint was filed against the Russian streamer, and her home was promptly searched by the police. All electronic devices were confiscated, and she was taken into pre-trial detention, where she has reportedly been held since August 2023. Anna Bazhutova's channel was banned from Twitch, but the reasons remain unclear, as Twitch does not publicly disclose details regarding channel bans, PC Gamer reports.

More than five years in prison - this was the sentence Anna Bazhutova heard. The woman disagrees with the judge's decision, and her lawyer has announced an appeal. The streamer is clearly not afraid to say out loud what she thinks, as she commented very bluntly on the sentence she received. "It's f**ked up. It's disgusting and vile," she said while in the witness box. The Russian woman is not alone: she has support among opposition figures of the Putin regime.

"We consider streamer Anna Bazhutova (YokoBovich) a political prisoner," the Political Prisoners Memorial website wrote when Bazhutova was arrested in 2023. "The criminal case against Bazhutova violates her right to freedom of speech and is designed to silence the voices of people in Russia who criticise the war against Ukraine."

Source: pcgamer.com