A Zambian female student has been arrested in Russia for allegedly “rehabilitating Nazism” by twerking in front of a war memorial.
The 21-year-old — identified by local media as Zambian national Rebecca Ziba — was detained after she posted a video of herself on Instagram.
In the footage — posted alongside a joking caption — she can be seen dancing next to a World War II memorial in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Russian investigators have described her actions as “obscene” and “insulting” and have charged her under Part 4 of Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code, which accuses a person of “rehabilitating nazism”.
The regional Investigative Committee said in a statement that the video of Ziba dancing had been posted on social media “accompanied by an offensive inscription”.
The student faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million roubles (€34,430) if found guilty of “desecrating a symbol of Russian military glory”.
The Memorial of Glory in Khanty-Mansiysk is dedicated to soldiers who died during the “Great Patriotic War” against Nazi Germany.
The Russian Investigative Committee also published a video of Rebecca Ziba sitting in what appears to be an interrogation room, where she confesses and apologises for her actions.
“I didn’t want the video I posted to be offensive and disrespectful to the dead. I didn’t know what the memorial signifies. I apologise very much to everyone,” the student says in English.
It is unclear under what kind of conditions she is being held and whether she had access to any legal representation.
Euronews has contacted the Zambian embassy in Moscow to confirm whether any contact had been made with the student.
Euronews
Chabipa sana. Am saddened about this development.
too bad for you,
Haha kikikikkki just like her mother trekking…. these children, all the way to Russia for ponno.
She be abused like a goat.
How inhuman you are… I feel sad for you ?
Some countries, very sad. Please dont send your children to Russian/Ukraine even China. Standard of education are just as good in Zambia especially if you can afford these countries. May she find help and immediately pack her bags and leave
Typical Zambian naivety. And then claiming ignorance. I hope the Russian police will teach her a lesson. She will probably come back pregnant.
She’s just a child.
Could our Embassy please step in and help, if at all we’re still on talking terms after that UN vote?
The dynamics here are quite delicate. On the one hand you have the UN vote against Russia taken without an effort to take actions that are to be taken after such a vote is made. Real questions for the government is why students are still in Russia after that vote? Also, HH and his inability to rationalize the vote with the Russian ambassador has backfired, a culture of keeping quiet is the downfall of this administration. The best thing to do is negotiate to pay the fine, but also, discourage sending people to Russia for education.
I hope we now understand why those nurses twerking on duty had to be disciplined. Don’t allow silly behaviour to become normal.
Expressing freedom of speech copied in Zambia, where insults to leaders is the order of the day. Who will rescue her, may be send Tayali.
wake up GRZ save our citizen
WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH ??
WHO FED THIS IMFORMATION TO LT IN THE FIRST PLACE
COULD BE FAKE AS USUAL
Sometimes we just invite trouble on ourselves. Understanding a country’s tolerance is very important.
Had our History curriculum and teaching standards in Grade 12 not deteriorated, perhaps this student would have been taught the history of Russia (“Operation Barbarossa”, “The Blitz Krieg”, etc.). In our days, these topics were covered in the Grade 12 History curriculum. As a result, this woman naively posed in front of something of historical significance to the country. Perhaps as a lesson going forward, before you go to a foreign country you should try to learn as much as you can something about that country. Thanks to my solid Grade 12 History lessons, I long to visit Russia to see Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square
Wrong timing young lady. Next time think before you shake your backside. You have daddy kz here in zambia if you want to come shake it for me with no risks
@ 12 Deja Vu, I totally agree with you parents should be able to read up and find out as much as they could about foreign countries before sending out their children. This is very sad reading if at all it’s happening.
Children should also learn to behave appropriately in some of these countries.
Imwe bana, shosho media iyi will be your downfall. I am appalled at what you put on your shosho media. Everything appears to fun, glamorous, expensive and yet we all know real life is not like that. I feel sorry for the young woman and hope our government will do everything to “not leave any Zambian behind”. Let this be a lesson to all, not everyone sees what you post on your shosho media as you percieve it to be.
We have a willing adulterer here in comment #14
God help the little soul. My people perish because of luck of Knowledge. She had little knowledge about how serious her actions could be to the integrity of the Nation. The prevailing situation in the region should have sounded a warning to her not to act as such.
Mzambia if dancing was adultery the whole country would be divorced
Zambian girls, nyele is on their finger tips.
Charles get over your inferiority. If you travelled and exposed yourself you would learn that all races of women enjoy sex. F00lish comment
Well, i pray heaven takes pity on her…
Innocent you seem too interested in this article given you might be Nigerian. Is she your girlfriend?