A Zambian student was charged with supporting Nazism after she reportedly recorded herself twerking next to a World War II memorial in Khanty-Mansiysk.
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A social media post leads to an arrest at a World War II memorial
Rebecca Ziba,21, was detained by police after uploading the twerking video on her Instagram page with the caption: “Shaking a** for the dead, I’m sure they are sleeping well tonight.” Investigators accused Ziba of “rehabilitating nazism” after claiming she violated Part 4 of Article 354.1 for the “obscene” act.
During her interview with the police, Ziba apologized for her actions and said she was unaware of what the memorial symbolized: “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 apologize very much to everyone.”
‘The day before, the suspect was detained with the participation of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, and interrogated by the investigator on the circumstances of the incident, during the interrogation she repented and apologized for her actions. A complex of investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident is being carried out in the criminal case. The investigation is ongoing,’ the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
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The Memorial of Glory is dedicated to Russian soldiers who were killed during World War II. Officials also said Ziba faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million roubles( $36,468) for the incident as reported by Euronews.
Social media reaction to Rebecca Ziba’s arrest
Ziba’s case is currently making its rounds on Twitter as users are stating she should be sent back to her home country instead of facing jail time for a dance. They also believe that her dancing doesn’t promote nor support the ideologies of Nazism based on modern definitions.
Russian officials in Khanty-Mansiysk have charged a 21-yr-old student from Zambia with “rehabilitating Nazism” because she filmed herself twerking in front of the city’s WWII eternal flame. She faces 5 yrs in prison. Truly hers is the face of … Nazism??? https://t.co/IObbnQ8uxJ pic.twitter.com/OaRwkA2iwH
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) April 19, 2022
Russia is engaged in a war and governments at war any crave propaganda to rally their populace around. And framing this as some charge of Nazism is the kind of garbage that can be spun into a righteous act. I’m really scared for Rebecca Ziba. @HHichilema, get to work. https://t.co/FHKDGFXxS4
— Coffee Brain (@Bwalya_II) April 21, 2022
Shocking that whole adults are making fun of an adolescent in trouble in a foreign land.
She’s 21 making mistakes 21 year olds make.
Plenty of us got away with worse.
Hoping for a favorable outcome for #RebeccaZIBA— Lukwesa Chola (@cholaonfire) April 21, 2022
“shaking ass for the dead, I’m sure they are sleeping well tonight.”
~Rebecca Ziba 2022
Our baddie has been humbled uko.
Please send her home, please.— section.80 (@KING_CAIAH) April 20, 2022