Anna Bazhutova

Anna Bazhutova, known on Twitch as YokoBovich, is a Russian streamer. Bazhutova was arrested in 2023 and subsequently sentenced to five and a half years in prison for sharing testimonies of the Bucha massacre in Ukraine on her Twitch channel. The Memorial human rights organization has classified her as a political prisoner.

Detention

In April 2022, Bazhutova made a live stream on Twitch that included witnesses to the Bucha massacre, which occurred during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and residents of the city. In June 2023, pro-war Russian bloggers republished the stream and filed complaints with the police. Two months after the complaint, police searched Buzhutova's home and confiscated her personal electronic devices.
On 5 June 2024, the Ostankinsky District Court found Anna guilty of “spreading false information” about the Russian military and sentenced her to five and a half years in prison. Bazhutova's defense stated that it would appeal the decision. The Memorial human rights organization has classified her as a political prisoner, stating that her case violates the right to freedom of expression and seeks to silence critics of the war in Russia.