Twerking at war memorial in Russia land a Zambian student in prison

Zambia’s foreign ministry reported that a 21-year-old Zambian student was detained in Russia last Sunday for twerking at a World War II memorial in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Tionge Ziba, a first-year Zambian student at Khanty-Yugra Mansiysk’s State University, has been released on bond, the ministry reports, but her case has been referred to the municipal prosecutor.

The statement stated that the footage of her dancing atop the Eternal Flame battle memorial was shot on 14 April.

Ms. Ziba reportedly subsequently uploaded the video to Instagram two days later with the comment: “Shaking… for the dead, sure they are sleeping well tonight”, which court records provided to Zambia’s embassy in Moscow characterize as an “offensive caption purportedly mocking Nazism.”

Ms. Ziba apologized for her dancing in a video uploaded by the regional investigative agency, but it did not identify her by name or nationality at the time.

“I want to apologize to everyone for the video I posted on 16 April,” she adds in English.

“I released a video of myself dancing on this monument with no intention of offending Anyone or disrespecting those who perished.”

I apologize profusely to everyone. I hope that I have been understood and forgiven.”

According to Zambia’s foreign ministry, the embassy has been informed that the police would examine the issue over the next three months and that “the process will be completed in a compassionate manner to minimize interfering with Ms. Ziba’s academic schedule.”

According to the privately held Kommersant daily, she faces a fine of between $25,000 and $65,000 (£20,000 and £50,000), one to five years of forced labor, or up to five years in jail.

For the latest International News Follow BOL News on Google News. Read more on Latest International News on oldsite.bolnews.com