Russia's prominent anti-war politician jailed for 11 years

Prominent Russian anti-war politician Lev Shlosberg has been given an 11-year sentence for allegedly discrediting the country's armed forces and spreading false information about them. Shlosberg, 63, denounced the verdict from a court in Pskov, stating that the court's sole purpose was to punish him for his political, public, and civil stance.

His liberal political party, Yabloko, which he co-leads, announced they would appeal the decision. The ruling came shortly before Russia's Supreme Court rejected Yabloko's appeal against being barred from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections in September. This is the only registered party to oppose Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

Since the invasion, any dissent in Russia towards President Vladimir Putin has been suppressed through wartime censorship laws, resulting in potential fines or lengthy prison terms. Russian authorities banned Yabloko from the election, citing allegations that the party supports the international LGBT movement, which Russia's Supreme Court labels as extremist, and copyright infringement. The other nine parties participating in the election support the ongoing war with Ukraine.