A leading opponent of the Kremlin regime has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has dual Russian and British nationality, told a Moscow court he was “proud” of his sentence for treason and “discrediting the military”.
His sentence is the longest Russia has imposed on a critic of Vladimir Putin, after two failed attempts to kill him with poison.
Human rights groups have widely accused Putin’s government of concocting allegations to silence the 41-year-old, who dismissed the case as a “show trial” like during Stalin’s communist purges.
In a copy of his speech in court, shared by his wife, Mr Kara-Murza said: “Criminals should regret what they have done. On the other hand, I am in prison because of my political views.
“I know the day will come when the darkness that engulfs our land will disappear.
“And then our society will open its eyes and shiver as it recognizes the heinous crimes committed in its name.”
The activist was arrested last year shortly after giving a speech to US state lawmakers in which he was one of the first major public figures to accuse Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Who is Vladimir Kara-Murza?
The son of a TV presenter, known for his criticism of the rollback of democratic reforms when Putin came to power, he grew up in Moscow before moving to England to study history at Cambridge University.
During his studies he started working as a British correspondent for Russian media and eventually became a Washington correspondent for the BBC in 2004 before moving to a Russian TV channel.
He caught the Kremlin’s attention after producing a groundbreaking documentary about the fall of the USSR that clumsily highlighted how Putin had become president despite being a loyal officer in the oppressive KGB spy force.
Kara-Murza’s platform grew as he wrote a series of books, blog posts and press articles highlighting the repression of dissidents in Russia.
He earned the hatred of Putin’s henchmen by playing an influential role in persuading US politicians to support new sanctioning powers under the Magnitsky Act in 2012 in response to the death in custody of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky.
He later supported expanded powers that would allow the US government to freeze the assets of foreign officials who commit human rights violations.
Twice, in 2015 and 2017, after suspected poisoning by Russian security forces, Kara-Murza suddenly fell into a coma before eventually recovering.
His lawyers say this caused him to develop a serious nerve condition called polyneuropathy.
The Russian authorities deny any involvement in the incidents.
The speech referred to reports from independent organizations that Russia had used cluster bombs in residential areas and targeted hospitals and schools in an attempt to demoralize defenders.
He was first arrested for allegedly disobeying a police officer, and detectives added charges of treason while in custody.
Mr Kara-Murza also became one of thousands of Russians arrested under laws against the dissemination of “false information” about the military, passed shortly after Putin’s February 2022 invasion.
The law has been used to convict people for acts such as “occupying” Russian soldiers on social media and sharing posts from well-known anti-war groups on private newsgroups with friends.
Another charge condemning the activist came from a speech in Russia in which he said Russia was pursuing a “repressive policy”.
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Source: Subway
Source: Metro
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