# Russian legal actions against political opposition > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/russian-legal-actions-against-political-opposition > Updated: 2026-08-17T13:08:27.000Z. Sources: 60. Developments: 3. Russian authorities have intensified legal actions against opposition figures and members of the liberal Jabloko party. On August 14, prosecutors requested a sentence of 12 years and one month in a penal colony for Lev Shlosberg, the deputy chairman of Jabloko, alleging he discredited the Russian armed forces via a 2022 social media post. By August 17, a court in Pskov sentenced Shlosberg to eleven years and one month in a penal colony for the same charge of disparaging the military, a ruling the party intends to appeal. Shlosberg has denied all charges, characterizing the trial as politically motivated. Jabloko described the verdict as a “collapse of the modern Russian judicial system,” while Amnesty International condemned the sentencing as a “blatant reprisal against freedom of expression.” Simultaneously, the Russian Supreme Court upheld a decision to bar the Jabloko party from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary elections, rejecting an appeal that challenged the exclusion based on allegations of irregular foreign funding and copyright infringements. This exclusion followed a legal challenge by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party. During the Supreme Court proceedings in Moscow, police detained dozens of Jabloko supporters, with some reports indicating at least 35 individuals were arrested during protests outside the courthouse. Jabloko leaders characterized the rulings as a targeted campaign to silence the only officially registered party in Russia that openly opposes the war, describing the situation as a “tragedy of the disintegration of modern Russian justice.” In response to the exclusion, Jabloko released a report alleging that the ruling United Russia party and other pro-Kremlin groups received approximately USD 13.6 million in donations from entities linked to 22 different countries between 2021 and 2025, contrasting with the small amount of foreign funding cited by the Supreme Court to disqualify Jabloko. ## Claims - At least 35 supporters of the Jabloko party were taken into custody. (disputed by 4 sources) - At least 55 supporters of the Yabloko party were arrested in Moscow during the Supreme Court hearing. (disputed by 2 sources) - The Russian Supreme Court upheld the decision to ban the Yabloko party from participating in the upcoming September parliamentary elections. (corroborated by 23 sources) - Yabloko is the only officially registered political party in Russia that openly opposes the military offensive in Ukraine. (corroborated by 21 sources) - Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison. (corroborated by 19 sources) - Lev Shlosberg denied the charges and claimed the trial was politically motivated. (corroborated by 12 sources) - The Yabloko party has appealed the sentence and criticized the verdict as a collapse of the judicial system. (corroborated by 10 sources) - Lev Shlosberg was found guilty of harming the reputation of Russia’s armed forces and spreading false information. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The charges against Shlosberg involved a Telegram post featuring a British tabloid cover regarding the war in Ukraine. (corroborated by 8 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-17: Russia sentences opposition leader Shlosberg to 11 years in prison Russian opposition leader Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison, while FAZ journalist Michael Martens faces criminal investigation in Russia following a controversial question in Belgrade. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/russia-targets-journalist-and-opposition-leader-in-legal-actions ### 2026-08-16: Yabloko party banned from Russian elections as deputy leader jailed Russia’s Supreme Court upheld a ban on the anti-war Yabloko party from September elections, while deputy leader Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison for criticizing the military. 47 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yabloko-accuses-united-russia-of-receiving-usd-10-million-in-foreign-funding ### 2026-08-14: Lev Slosberg: Russian prosecutor seeks 12-year prison term Russian prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for opposition politician Lev Slosberg for allegedly discrediting the military via a 2022 Telegram post. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lev-schlosberg-faces-12-year-prison-sentence-in-russia --- Cite as: Russian legal actions against political opposition. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/russian-legal-actions-against-political-opposition