Lawyers seek release of Russian artist who staged anti-war price tag protest

FILE PHOTO: Alexandra (Sasha) Skochilenko, a 33-year-old artist and musician charged with spreading false information about Russia's armed forces after replacing supermarket price tags with slogans protesting against the country's military operation in Ukraine, is escorted during a court hearing in Saint Petersburg, Russia November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo

(Reuters) - Lawyers for a Russian artist and musician who replaced supermarket price tags with demands for an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine will on Monday urge a judge to free her after a state prosecutor sought an eight-year jail term.

Alexandra Skochilenko, 33, known to her friends as Sasha, has spent over a year-and-a half in prison in St Petersburg as the Russian legal system deals with her case. Critics say it is part of a crackdown on anyone who speaks out against Moscow's "special military operation".