After his party was banned: one of Russia's most prominent war opponents sentenced to 11 years in prison

A court in Russia has sentenced Lev Shlosberg, a prominent critic of the war and a leader of the liberal Yabloko party, to 11 years in prison. The conviction was based on charges of discrediting the Russian armed forces. The politician used his closing statement to call for an end to the conflict.

In the 4.5 years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's regime has systematically suppressed political opposition. Monday's developments marked a peak in the crackdown on internal dissent: the appeal of the Yabloko party was rejected, barring it from participating in upcoming elections, while one of its key leaders was handed a lengthy prison sentence.

The court in Pskov convicted 63-year-old Lev Shlosberg of discrediting the Russian military and spreading false information. In his closing statement, Shlosberg rejected all charges, describing the trial as a sham investigation designed to punish him for his political and civic stance:

"One person is imprisoned, but fear creeps into millions of hearts."

Shlosberg was initially arrested last June after publishing a video in which he expressed his opposition to the war, labeling it a "bloody chess game." The laws he was charged under were enacted following the invasion to restrict freedom of speech in Russia.

The verdict against Shlosberg was delivered just minutes before the Supreme Court of Russia rejected Yabloko's appeal against its ban from the parliamentary elections scheduled for September. While the official reason for the disqualification was the party's public support for LGBT rights, analysts suggest the regime acted out of fear that the party would reflect widespread public opposition to the war. Dozens of supporters were arrested outside the Supreme Court as the appeal was rejected.