Ruslan Kotsaba

Ruslan Petrovych Kotsaba (Ukrainian: Руслан Петрович Коцаба; born 18 August 1966) is a Ukrainian journalist, activist, blogger and conscientious objector who has been described as a pro-Russian blogger by USA Today and as a prisoner of conscience by human rights organisations. Kotsaba is known for his call in January 2015 to boycott the fourth wave of mobilization in Ukraine during the war in Donbas. In May 2016 he was found guilty of obstructing the activities of the armed forces and was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment. He was acquitted by the Court of Appeal and released in July 2016 after having spent 524 days in prison. The acquittal was annulled in June 2017 and the trial was still ongoing in 2022. As of 2022, Kotsaba is a controversial figure in his country and abroad, and has been a victim of threats and politically motivated violence.