Russia’s Leading Anti‑War Voice Sentenced to 11 Years

Lev Shlosberg, a prominent anti‑war politician, has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for ‘discrediting’ the Russian armed forces and spreading ‘false information’ about them. The verdict was handed down by a court in the city of Pskov.

Shlosberg, 63, condemned the ruling, saying it was aimed solely at punishing his “political, public and civil position”. He has been a key voice against Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Yabloko, the liberal political party of which he is deputy head, has announced it will appeal the decision. The court’s judgment came minutes before Russia’s Supreme Court rejected Yabloko’s appeal to the September parliamentary elections, a separate case in which the party was banned for allegedly supporting extremist LGBT content.

According to prosecutors, Shlosberg’s case was triggered by his remarks on social media that were deemed to “publicly discredit the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation”. The prosecution sought a punishment of 12 years and one month. In his final statement, Shlosberg vehemently denied all charges and called the trial a sham aimed at “achieving an obviously illegal goal”. He reiterated his call for a cease‑fire in the Russia‑Ukraine war and for a “political dialogue”.

The verdict comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent: since the onset of the conflict, opposition voices inside Russia have been increasingly silenced under wartime censorship, and can face hefty fines or lengthy prison sentences.