Stand-up comedian from Yeysk accused of insulting SMO fighter

A criminal case was opened against Artemy Ostanin, a stand-up comedian from the city of Yeysk, after his performance in which he joked about a disabled person who had stepped on a mine. Investigators saw his words as an insult to a participant in the special military operation (SMO), but Ostanin himself claims that he was joking about a simple beggar.

The case has been opened under the article on incitement of hatred or hostility, as well as humiliation of one’s human dignity.

In his speech, Ostanin told about a beggar without legs who ran over Artemy‘s leg with his wheelchair in the subway. He called the disabled man a "legless skater" and also said that he had "blown up on a mine." However, he didn’t mention the SMO or the militaries, the “Kommersant” writes.

The stand-up comedian's performance was practically not laughed at by either the audience or his colleagues, since it contained offensive statements addressed to a person with disabilities.

The comedian himself, in a conversation with the "Beware, News" outlet, asserted that he was not joking about a SMO fighter, and that he was unfairly attacked in social networks. He claims that the joke involved a beggar who has been asking for money in the subway for "20 years."

On October 9, 2024, stand-up comedians Sasha Ni and Vladikavkaz native Ariana Lolaeva posted a video apologizing for their obscene jokes about Ossetians during Roast Battle-2020.