Russian Rammstein fan faces jail for sharing band's X-rated music video
Rammstein fan Andrei Borovikov is looking at three years for “distributing pornography” by sharing the video for Pussy.
A Russian Rammstein fan is in court accused of “distributing pornography” by sharing the X-rated video for the band’s song Pussy.
Andrei Borovikov shared the clip on the Russian social network VKontakte in 2014, although charges were not brought until last year after a volunteer at the environmental organisation at which he was coordinator reported him to the authorities. If found guilty, he faces a possible three years in prison for “manufacturing and distributing” pornography.
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The 2009 video for the song from the band's Liebe ist für alle da album was directed by Jonas Akerlund, and features Rammstein in various erotic set-ups which become increasingly graphic until, with the aid of body doubles for 'the action', it climaxes with things turning into actual sex.
Amnesty International have defended Andrei Borovikov, saying that the Russian authorities are using trumped-up charges to silence dissent. As an environmental activist, in 2019 he had already found himself slapped with a 400-hour compulsory labour order for his involvement in organising protests against a local landfill.
“The case against Andrei Borovikov is utterly absurd. It is blatantly obvious that he is being punished solely for his activism, not his musical taste,” says Natalia Zviagina, Office Director at AI’s Moscow office. “This is not the first time the Russian authorities have used an overbroad definition of ‘pornography’ as a pretext for locking up their critics. Earlier this month, artist and feminist activist Yulia Tsvetkova stood trial on pornography charges over her drawings of women’s bodies – it is astonishing that cases like this even make it to court.
“The prosecution of Andrei Borovikov is a mockery of justice, and we call for all charges against him to be dropped,” she continues. “The Russian authorities should be focusing on turning around the spiralling human rights crisis they have created, not devising ludicrous new ways of prosecuting and silencing their critics.
“The Russian government surely has better things to do than try its hand as a cultural critic. For example, it should be improving its dire record on freedom of expression, guaranteeing fair trial standards, releasing those detained for peacefully protesting, and putting a stop the politically motivated prosecution of activists.”
The band have not commented on the story at the time of writing.
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