Moscow Woman Freed After Orthodox Church Intervenes in Easter Cake Hookah Case
A Moscow woman jailed for making a hookah from a traditional Easter cake was released after the Russian Orthodox Church pushed for leniency and a high court overturned her three-year sentence.
Ksenia Belousova, who was sentenced for using a traditional Orthodox Easter cake (kulich) as a hookah bowl, was released from custody on Friday after the presidium of the Moscow City Court overturned her three-year prison term.
The Russian Orthodox Church unexpectedly advocated for a lighter punishment, announcing plans last month to petition the court on her behalf. In May, a judge found Belousova guilty of offending religious feelings and sentenced her to three years and 25 days in prison. The sentence was imposed by combining an earlier 200-hour community service order with a three-year suspended sentence for drug possession that Belousova received in August.
The presidium reversed that decision on Friday, decoupling the two cases. The court reinstated the original 200-hour community service for the Easter cake incident and ordered that she serve her drug-related probation separately.
According to the exiled outlet Mediazona, Belousova's father is a distinguished police officer, and her brother is a decorated soldier currently fighting in the war against Ukraine. In court, Belousova said she "occasionally donates to charities," including those supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
