Russian Anti-War Politician Sentenced to 11 Years

Lev Shlosberg, vice chairman of the Russian liberal party Yabloko, was sentenced on Monday to 11 years and one month in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine. A court in Pskov found him guilty of discrediting the military and spreading false information.

In his closing statement, Shlosberg maintained his innocence, called the trial political and once again called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, which has now lasted four and a half years and which he described as a catastrophe for Russia.

The verdict came just a few days after Russia’s Supreme Court barred the Yabloko party from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. It is the only officially registered party that openly opposes the war and faces escalating pressure from the Kremlin.

While neither Russia nor Ukraine officially releases casualty figures, independent media outlets such as Mediazona and the BBC, based on probate records and excess mortality data, estimate total Russian losses at more than 350,000 dead soldiers.

In his speech, Shlosberg emphasized that revealing the total number of casualties after the conflict ends will come as a profound shock to the Russian people

(Reuters, Max)