A court in the Russian city of Pskov has sentenced Lev Shlosberg, a well-known anti-war politician and deputy leader of the liberal Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in prison.
The 63-year-old leader was sentenced on charges of “discrediting” the Russian armed forces and “spreading false information” about them. The case stemmed from various comments he made on social media.
Rejecting the verdict, Shlosberg said he was being punished for maintaining his political and civic positions. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine and for political negotiations. His party, Yabloko, has announced it will appeal the ruling.
Just before the verdict, Russia’s Supreme Court upheld a ban on Yabloko’s participation in September’s parliamentary election. Yabloko was the only registered party to have taken a public stand against Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Every other party currently taking part in the election supports Russia’s military campaign. Under President Vladimir Putin, who has held power for nearly 27 years, wartime censorship laws are being used to sharply suppress any form of dissent or opposition voice within the country.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report