Russian court hands anti-war lawmaker Lev Shlosberg an 11-year prison term
A court in Pskov sentenced opposition figure Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month for publicly denigrating the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
In a Pskov courtroom, Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko party, received a sentence of 11 years and one month after being found guilty of “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.” The 63-year-old politician, who has consistently called for a ceasefire in Ukraine since 2014, was charged over his participation in an online discussion about the war and for circulating critical articles.
When asked if he understood the judgment, Shlosberg replied that the judge would have to live with the decision. Yabloko leaders Nikolay Rybakov and Grigory Yavlinsky labeled the ruling a “tragedy of the disintegration of modern Russian justice” and announced plans to challenge the prosecution through all lawful channels. The party had recently been barred from the upcoming September legislative elections.
Amnesty International condemned the prosecution as an arbitrary punishment for exercising freedom of expression. Russia’s laws on “discrediting” the military allow sentences of up to 15 years, underscoring the harsh environment for dissent.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 2h later
Why it matters
The sentencing highlights the severe crackdown on anti-war voices inside Russia and the broader suppression of free expression.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage emphasizes the harshness and political repression of the sentence, while centrist coverage presents the court’s charge and the opposition’s legal response in more neutral terms; a single right-leaning outlet reports the same basic facts without adding distinct framing.
LEFT
Frames the sentencing as a punitive, brutal repression of a long-time civil-rights advocate
CENTER
Frames the case as a legal judgment on “public actions aimed at discrediting” the armed forces, noting the opposition’s condemnation and intent to appeal
The left emphasises
- punitive response
- brutal
- decades-long advocacy for civil liberties
In this story
Related stories
2 in this thread