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Lev Shlosberg sentenced to 11 years in prison for criticizing Ukraine war FAST-MOVING
A Russian court in Pskov has sentenced Lev Shlosberg, a prominent deputy chairman of the liberal Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in prison. The conviction is based on charges of discrediting the Russian armed forces and spreading false information regarding the military offensive in Ukraine. The case stemmed from Shlosberg’s participation in an online debate calling for a ceasefire and a social media post featuring a British tabloid cover related to the conflict.
Yabloko, which remains the only officially registered political party in Russia to openly oppose the war, has denounced the verdict as a sign of the collapse of the Russian judicial system. The party is also facing significant political restrictions, as the Russian Supreme Court recently upheld a decision to bar the organization from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary elections.
In addition to the sentencing, Yabloko has raised allegations regarding the financing of the ruling United Russia party. The opposition group released a report claiming that United Russia and other pro-government parties received approximately USD 13.6 million in contributions with indications of foreign funding between 2021 and 2025. This includes nearly USD 10 million from donors in 22 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Yabloko noted the irony of these claims, as the Supreme Court had previously used a much smaller sum of approximately USD 200 to justify disqualifying Yabloko from the elections.
Entities
Amnesty International · Lev Shlosberg · Supreme Court of Russia · United Russia · Vladimir Putin · Yabloko
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The charges against Shlosberg involved a Telegram post featuring a British tabloid cover regarding the war in Ukraine. internewscast.com · contrapunto.com · srnnews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Amnesty International condemned the sentence as blatant retaliation against freedom of expression. diarioroatan.com · lequotidien.lu
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Yabloko party has appealed the sentence and criticized the verdict as a collapse of the judicial system. diarioroatan.com · contrapunto.com · lequotidien.lu
- [● 2 SOURCES] Yabloko reported that the ruling United Russia party received nearly USD 10 million in donations from 22 different countries. labandadiario.com · eju.tv
- [● 7 SOURCES] Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison. diarioroatan.com · internewscast.com · contrapunto.com · srnnews.com · www.14ymedio.com · +2 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Russian Supreme Court barred the Yabloko party from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary elections. labandadiario.com · eju.tv · lequotidien.lu
- [● 2 SOURCES] Yabloko is the only officially registered political party in Russia that openly opposes the military offensive in Ukraine. internewscast.com · srnnews.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Lev Shlosberg denied the charges and claimed the trial was politically motivated. diarioroatan.com · internewscast.com · contrapunto.com · srnnews.com · www.14ymedio.com