A teenage street musician in Russia walked out of prison Monday after serving nearly a month behind bars for the crime of singing banned songs, only to be detained yet again. Diana Loginova, 18, who performs in St. Petersburg with the band Stoptime, has now been sentenced to another 13 days in prison, per Reuters. Loginova, who performs as "Naoko," has been repeatedly targeted by authorities after her street performances of songs critical of the government went viral online. She was first arrested last month, along with other members of her group, after performing "Swan Lake Cooperative," a banned track by exiled rapper Noize MC.
The song, referencing the famous Tchaikovsky ballet that has become a symbol of political upheaval in Russia, drew swift attention from police and resulted in a 13-day jail sentence for a public order offense. A subsequent rendition of "You Are a Soldier" by Monetochka, an artist labeled a "foreign agent" by the state, led to a separate conviction for petty hooliganism, followed by another 13-day sentence, and a $369 fine for allegedly discrediting the Russian army, per Reuters.
Loginova and her fiance, Stoptime guitarist Alexander Orlov, had just finished those back-to-back 13-day sentences when they were rearrested Monday morning and Sunday night, respectively, allegedly on charges of organizing an unsanctioned gathering, reports the Moscow Times. At this time, there's no information to suggest Stoptime drummer Vladislav Leontyev, who was also released, was taken back into custody. Loginova has not made explicit political statements and claims to have faced false charges. "We've been accused of lots of things we didn't do," she told the BBC last month. "All we were doing was bringing the music we like to a mass audience."