Russia acquits feminist artist on trial for pornography

MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Russia’s far east has handed a rare acquittal to a feminist artist who was charged with disseminating pornography after she shared artwork online depicting female bodies. The charges against 29-year-old Yulia Tsvetkova in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur have been linked to the Kremlin’s aggressive promotion of “traditional family values.” Last month, the prosecution sought a sentence of three years and two months in prison on the charges of disseminating pornography. The charges are related to Tsvetkova’s group on a Russian social network, where stylized drawings of vaginas were posted. The judge acquitted the artist on Friday — a rare occurrence in Russia, where less than 1% criminal defendants were acquitted last year.