Lev Shlosberg, senior member of the Yabloko party, stands in the defendant's box prior to a verdict in the case against him is delivered, in a court in Pskov, Russia, August 17, 2026
A RUSSIAN court has jailed an opposition politician for speaking out against the war in Ukraine.
Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison in the latest crackdown ahead of next month’s parliamentary election.
The verdict against the deputy chairman of the Yabloko party was another step by the Kremlin to silence opposition to the war, now in its fourth year.
Yabloko is the only official political party overtly opposing the war.
In a separate ruling on Monday, Russia’s Supreme Court upheld its earlier decision to bar Yabloko from the ballot in the September 18-20 parliamentary vote, denying an appeal by the party.
Mr Shlosberg stood trial in the city of Pskov on charges of “discrediting” and spreading “false information” about the Russian military.
The charges stemmed from a debate in which he called for ending the war and from posting on his Telegram channel a British tabloid front page featuring an image of a bloodied woman next to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the headline: “Her blood, his hands.”
Mr Shlosberg has rejected the charges as unfounded.
Andy Burnham offers unconditional support for Zelensky but no solutions to the underlying conflict between the Nato/EU bloc and Russia, says NICK WRIGHT
