Russian court convicts German sculptor in absentia for depicting Putin and patriarch in sex act
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German sculptor Jacques Tilly with a papier mache figure depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, on April 2, at his workshop in Duesseldorf, Germany.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Jacques Tilly, a German sculptor, was sentenced in absentia by a Moscow court to eight years and six months for “false information” about the military.
- The charges relate to a carnival float depicting Putin and Patriarch Kirill in a sex act, with Tilly denouncing the sentence as an attack on free expression.
- Tilly's sentence includes a fine and ban from website administration, but is unenforceable as he lives outside Russia; his art often challenges political figures.
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DUESSELDORF, Germany - German sculptor Jacques Tilly, the creator of a carnival float showing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill engaging in a sex act, was sentenced in absentia by a Moscow court on April 2 to eight years and six months in prison.
Independent news outlet SOTAvision reported that the court had found Mr Tilly guilty of spreading “false information” about the military and insulting religious believers.
The case also featured a 2024 interview with Deutsche Welle in which Mr Tilly condemned what he called “all the bloody crimes committed by the Russian military” in Ukraine.
Mr Tilly, who is famed for his provocative carnival creations, had denounced the charges as an assault on freedom of expression.
Judge Konstantin Ochirov of Moscow’s Basmanny Court sentenced Mr Tilly to serve the term in a penal colony, pay a fine of 200,000 roubles (S$3,200) and be barred from administering websites for four years, none of which are enforceable as he does not reside in Russia.
SOTAvision said prosecutors had read out identical testimony from three witnesses who said they were outraged by the sculpture but did not appear in court.
It said an expert witness had testified that the figures depicted - a man in military uniform and a clergyman - were “undoubtedly Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill”.
Among Mr Tilly’s other creations are a float showing the Russian leader wallowing in blood in a bathtub in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Another depicted him and US President Donald Trump devouring Europe.
Mr Tilly has told Reuters his floats are intended to provoke and challenge political power, targeting a range of leaders including Mr Putin, Mr Trump and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan. REUTERS
