Russian teacher ‘shocked’ as she faces jail over anti-war speech pupils taped

Fears of Stalinisation' of society after Irina Gen was called in by spy agency and prosecuted over recorded message

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

When Irina Gen, a 55-year-old English and German language teacher in the Russian city of Penza, embarked on an anti-war speech in her classroom, little did she know she was being recorded by her own students.

I just wanted to broaden my students' worldview. I hoped to break through the propaganda that is being fed to this country. But look where it got me," said Gen, who faces a long-term prison sentence for discrediting" the Russian army after her message went viral.