Russia Jails Opposition Politician For 11 Years Over Anti War Statements

Russia Jails Opposition Politician for 11 Years Over Anti-War Statements A Russian court has sentenced prominent opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for speaking out against Moscow’s war in Ukraine, in the latest crackdown on dissent ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections. Shlosberg, 63, is a senior figure in the liberal Yabloko party and was convicted on charges of repeatedly “discrediting” Russia’s armed forces and spreading what authorities described as false information about the military. During his trial in the city of Pskov, Shlosberg condemned the war and called for an immediate ceasefire. He has previously criticised Russia’s invasion and used his public platforms to highlight the human cost of the conflict. The sentence comes amid an intensifying crackdown on opposition figures and anti-war voices as Russia prepares for parliamentary elections in September. Earlier this month, Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko, the country’s only officially registered political party openly opposed to the war, from taking part in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The party has rejected the allegations against it and said it would continue challenging the decision. Shlosberg’s imprisonment is his second conviction in two years and follows a broader campaign against Yabloko members. Another senior party figure, Maxim Kruglov, was recently sentenced to seven years in prison over social media posts concerning civilian deaths in Ukraine. Rights groups and opposition supporters have described the cases as part of a wider effort to silence political dissent in Russia. With Yabloko excluded from the September vote and one of its leading figures now facing more than a decade behind bars, the latest developments underscore the shrinking space for anti-war political opposition in Russia.