Man jailed for writing ‘Putin is a d***head’ on ballot paper

A Russian blogger has been sentenced to 14 days of administrative detention after posting a video in which he wrote an insult directed at President Vladimir Putin on a ballot during Russia’s parliamentary election.

Stanislav Morozov, a blogger from Penza, was found guilty of petty hooliganism under Russia’s Code of Administrative Offences, according to independent Russian media citing the press service of Penza’s Pervomaisky District Court.

Morozov posted a video on September 19 showing himself filling out ballots while standing outdoors. In the footage, he crossed out the name of a candidate from Putin’s ruling United Russia party and marked the boxes beside the other candidates. On another ballot, he wrote: “Putin is a dickhead.”

The video was subsequently deleted, reportedly at the request of the chair of the election commission, although copies continued circulating online. Morozov was later detained by police. His mother initially confirmed that he had been given 14 days of administrative detention but said she did not know the grounds for the punishment.

The court’s press service subsequently confirmed that Morozov had been sentenced under Part 1 of Article 20.1 of Russia’s administrative code, which covers petty hooliganism. Public reporting did not initially specify the precise conduct the court relied on in finding him guilty.

The incident occurred during Russia’s three-day State Duma election, which began on September 18. The election took place in a political environment in which most prominent anti-war candidates had been excluded from participating, while Putin’s United Russia party was positioned to retain its dominance in parliament.

Morozov had previously reported on allegations that residents of the Penza region were being pressured to sign military service contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry. Independent media reported that he had also faced scrutiny from Russian authorities earlier in 2026 over his coverage of military recruitment practices in the region.

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, Russia’s Federal Security Service had previously opened a criminal case against Morozov on suspicion of inciting extremist activity after he published a video discussing alleged violence involving military enlistment personnel and urged local residents to “unite.” He was briefly detained in July and later prohibited from leaving the country.

His latest detention comes against the backdrop of broader restrictions on political opposition and anti-war expression in Russia since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Independent opposition figures, activists and journalists have faced arrests, imprisonment or exile, while anti-war candidates were largely absent from the latest parliamentary election.