A court in Pskov, northwestern Russia, delivered a guilty verdict against Lev Shlosberg, a 63-year-old opposition politician and deputy head of the liberal party Yabloko. He was convicted of public actions aimed at discrediting the use of Russia’s armed forces, with the sentence totaling 11 years and one month in a penal colony. Prosecutors had sought a harsher penalty of 12 years and one month. The charges stemmed from comments Shlosberg published on social media.
Shlosberg rejected all charges during his trial, characterizing the proceedings as an imitation of a genuine investigation designed to achieve an illegal objective. He maintained his position calling for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the initiation of political dialogue, despite being interrupted multiple times by the presiding judge. His party indicated plans to appeal the conviction.
The sentencing occurred minutes before Russia’s Supreme Court denied Yabloko’s appeal against its prohibition from competing in parliamentary elections scheduled for later this month. The party was barred from ballots based on accusations that it publicly supports the international LGBT movement, which Russian authorities classify as extremist. A pro-Kremlin nationalist party also filed a lawsuit against Yabloko alleging copyright infringement. Yabloko disputes all accusations leveled against it.
Yabloko stands as the sole registered political party openly opposing Russia’s full-scale military campaign in Ukraine that commenced in 2022. Since the invasion’s outset, remaining opposition to President Vladimir Putin has been substantially suppressed through wartime censorship legislation, with dissent now risking significant penalties including substantial fines and extended prison terms. All ten other parties participating in the upcoming election have endorsed the war effort.
Recent polling data showed support for the ruling United Russia party at 32.1%, marking its lowest level since May according to state-affiliated pollster VCIOM. Nonetheless, observers widely believe the Kremlin possesses adequate resources to achieve desired electoral outcomes. Independent election monitoring organizations have faced substantial restrictions on their capacity to oversee and contest the electoral process.
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