Russia: Prison for opposition leader over war criticism
Lev Shlosberg of the Yabloko party has been sentenced to over 11 years in a penal colony for criticizing the war in Ukraine. "A single person is imprisoned, yet fear seeps into the hearts of millions," he said in court.
Opposition leader Lev Shlosberg of Russia's liberal Yabloko party has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for criticizing the country's military involvement in Ukraine. The court in Pskov found him guilty of making statements that discredited the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Shlosberg maintains his innocence, claiming he is a victim of a politically motivated trial.
The Kremlin accuses him of spreading false information about the army. On August 10, Russia's Supreme Court banned Yabloko from participating in upcoming parliamentary elections. Shlosberg's closing statement highlighted the devastating toll of the four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine, calling for an immediate ceasefire. The Kremlin calls the conflict a "special military operation," not a war.
Public criticism of the war is severely limited in Russia due to strict laws against discrediting the military. Shlosberg is the second Yabloko party member to face state justice recently; Deputy Leader Maxim Kruglov received a seven-year sentence in June.
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