Closing arguments set for Moscow trial in absentia of German satirist

Closing arguments are expected on Monday in the Moscow trial of German sculptor Jacques Tilly for mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A verdict and sentence could also be handed down. Tilly is being charged in absentia for his satirical floats featuring Putin during Carnival parades in Dusseldorf, the city where he lives.

Tilly has dedicated several floats to Putin. One from 2024 depicted Putin and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill having oral sex and another showed Putin in a bath of Ukrainian blood in reference to Russia's full-scale invasion of that country.

Russian prosecutors have described the floats to the court in great detail. "Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" is a crime in Russia, they said. And the same applies to libel directed at officials.

Witnesses have told the court that their religious sensibilities as devout Christians were hurt by the artist, a charge that is punishable by severe penalties in Russia.

Prosecutors have cited Paragraph 207 of Russia's criminal code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 10 years for false reports on the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine.

If convicted, Tilly would not face immediate imprisonment, as Germany would not deport him. However, a guilty verdict could limit his future travel to countries that have extradition agreements with Russia.