A Russian man has been fined 50,000 roubles ($553) for dyeing his hair in colors resembling the Ukrainian flag, an act considered “discrediting” the Russian army, according to Mediazona.
Stanislav Netesov, 25, was photographed with his hair dyed bright blue, green, and yellow. Blue and yellow are the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 20,000 people have been detained for anti-war activities, with more than 900 facing criminal charges.
On May 3, Netesov was found guilty of discrediting the armed forces. The court notice did not specify the fine.
In court, Netesov denied his hair color was a protest statement. He claimed not to support either Ukraine or the Russian army and stated that he has dyed his hair bright colors for years.
Netesov could not be reached for comment.
The case began in late April when he was attacked by unknown assailants while returning home from work. They stole his mobile phone and knocked out one of his teeth, he told the Russian rights group OVD-Info.
When Netesov reported the attack to the police, officers noticed his hair and charged him under the “discrediting” statute.
“The aforementioned visual propaganda clearly expressed a negative attitude towards the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the police report stated, according to Mediazona.
Additionally, officers issued Netesov a summons to report to a military enlistment office.
