Russian Prosecuted for Writing "No to *ar," Acquitted Because She Says She Meant "No to Gar," a Kind of Fish

OK, I took some liberties with the translation—but not a lot. She wrote, "НЕТ В***Е," which most Russians today would interpret as "НЕТ ВОЙНЕ," which means "No to War." But she testified she meant, "НЕТ ВОБЛЕ," which means "No to Vobla"—a fish that is apparently called a Caspian roach in English (see the Azerbaijan stamp above)—because "she feels a dislike of this kind of fish."

This assertion, the court said, was "in no way contradicted," and the defendant was therefore acquitted. The court also ordered that her yellow box of blue chalk, which she apparently used to write this in a city square (the Square of Unity and Concord, in the city of Tumen' in Siberia), be returned to her. My hat is off to you, Alisa Alekse'evna Klimentova, and to you, Judge Sergey Vladimirovich Romanov (no relation to the other Romanovs, I presume).