Russian justice has opened a criminal case against the German sculptor Jacques Tilly over his carnival floats that feature depictions of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin during the carnival season. As stated on the Moscow court’s website, Tilly is to answer for insulting the Russian army. The “Rheinische Post” had reported this earlier.
The case was filed on December 15, according to the court, and the first hearing is scheduled for December 24 at 10:00 a.m. local time (8:00 a.m. CET). After such accusations, many opponents of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have already been convicted in Russia. These decisions are internationally criticized as unjust rulings of Russia’s arbitrary judiciary.
Jacques Tilly: “Humor apparently still hurts”
Tilly is reportedly accused of spreading fake information about the Russian army because his works portray Putin as the supreme commander in his war of aggression against Ukraine. The portal Ostorozhno Novosti reported this. Tilly is alleged to have disseminated false representations about the army for selfish motives and political hatred.
He learned of the case from “Freies Russland NRW,” he told the German Press Agency. “Humor apparently still hurts.” He says the case is ludicrous, because he never mentioned the Russian army, but he has repeatedly targeted the despot Putin instead.
“Russia is a mafia state with a corresponding judiciary,” Tilly said. He also rejected the accusation of selfishness: “I’m an idealist. I don’t make money from this.” He intends to respond to the case as a carnival artist: “Shortly before Rosenmontag is an unfortunate time for demagogues and despots. Apparently, a major buck has leapt into our path.”
The deputy premier of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and NRW’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur (Greens), reacted on the platform X: “Satire & art are not crimes, but expressions of freedom of speech and democratic culture. Who criminalizes carnival wagons reveals one thing above all: fear. In free societies, dissent is tolerated—authoritarian systems fight it.”
Reaktion aus der Landespolitik
Jacques Tilly is a German sculptor and carnival wagon builder best known for his biting, satirical thematic wagons in Düsseldorf’s Rose Monday parade. Since 1984 he has been constructing and designing carnival wagons that have repeatedly drawn global attention. Every year his thematic wagons are eagerly anticipated. His wagons have long been dedicated to Vladimir Putin. One of his works—a Putin figure in handcuffs—took the sculptor to The Hague for the International Criminal Court.
One of his pieces depicted Putin in a Ukrainian bathtub, bloodied. In another well-known wagon from 2022, Putin is shown as he stuffs Ukraine into his mouth with the caption “Choke on it!!!.” As a protest against Russia’s homophobic alliance of state and church, he depicted Putin and Russia’s Patriarch Kirill I kissing on the lips and engaging in mutual masturbation (TheColu.mn reported).
Tilly’s Putin portrayals regularly attract international attention. Media from around the world pick up his motte wagons, and they appear on the front pages of both German and international press in the days following Carnival. He has also built Pride wagons (CSD wagons). For his artistic work, Tilly was awarded the Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia.
