Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murz has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Russia for treason and other charges related to his criticism of the war in Ukraine, the BBC writes.
The former journalist and politician is currently the latest convict in a rather long list of Putin’s opponents who have been arrested or forced to leave Russia.
Kara-Murza denied the accusations and spoke loudly against the trial. He said: “I subscribe to every word that I have said. Not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it.” He has both criticized the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and openly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the regime’s crackdown on dissidents.
Kara-Murza, 41, played an important role in pushing Western countries to impose sanctions on Russia for human rights abuses and corruption.
The 25-year prison sentence is the longest ever given to an opposition representative.
In a statement, the Latvian Foreign Ministry has condemned Russia’s action and says: “The punishment handed down to the politician can be seen as a direct attack against his political activity and his publicly expressed views that differ from those in power, especially about criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The unjustified sentence, which in terms of severity is comparable only to the punishment for the most severe criminal offences, can be considered a model trial for intimidation of other civil activists in order to further reduce the expression of alternative opinions in the public space of Russia.”
The case against the opposition figure is based mainly on a speech he gave to US politicians, where he said Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine, using cluster bombs in residential areas and shelling maternity hospitals and schools. What he said has been confirmed, while Russia has declared that it is fake news. Another charge is related to what Kara-Murza said at an event dedicated to political prisoners, where the opposition member called Russia’s policy repressive.
The ruling of the Russian court made the Latvian Foreign Ministry to expand the list of persons subject to sanctions: “In view of the absurd and inhumane lawsuit against Kara-Murza, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs has decided to include 10 persons who are jointly responsible for the persecution of Kara-Murza on the list of undesirable persons for the Republic of Latvia. The decision has been adopted in accordance with the second part of Article 61 of the Immigration Law and provides for a ban on the entry of these persons into Latvia for an indefinite period.”
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