Russia Sentences Anti-war Politician to 11 Years in Prison Amid Mounting Pressure on Yabloko Party
Amnesty International condemns the sentencing of Lev Shlosberg, deputy chair of the Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in prison for participating in an anti-war debate and sharing a social media post.
Lev Shlosberg, deputy chair of the Yabloko party, has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison for participating in an anti-war debate and sharing a social media post. The sentencing has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, who see it as a blatant reprisal for exercising the right to freedom of expression.
The Yabloko party is the only registered Russian political party that has consistently opposed Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and campaigned for a ceasefire and diplomacy. The party's disqualification from running in the September State Duma election is further proof that political pluralism and anti-war expression have no place in Russia today.
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, has called for Lev Shlosberg's immediate and unconditional release. She has also urged the Russian authorities to repeal legislation criminalizing peaceful anti-war expression and to respect the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and political participation for all Russians.
Lev Shlosberg's trial ended amid mounting pressure on Yabloko. The party's disqualification from the State Duma election has sparked widespread protests and detentions of its supporters. At least 30 Yabloko supporters were detained outside the Supreme Court in Moscow on the day of the appeal hearing.
The charges against Lev Shlosberg relate to his participation in an online debate about the war against Ukraine and sharing on social media of a publication featuring a *Daily Mirror* front page showing Vladimir Putin and a blood-covered Ukrainian woman. He was prosecuted under Article 280.3(1) of the Russian Criminal Code for "repeated discreditation of the Russian Armed Forces" and Article 207.3(2)(d) for "dissemination of deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces."
Lev Shlosberg himself described the situation in his final statement in the trial, saying that "thousands and thousands" of individuals have been targeted in Russia for their "peaceful, non-violent, and humanistic" beliefs. He concluded: "In reality, in this courtroom I am the Russian Federation, which has been put in a cage and which they want to force into silence."
**Russian Authorities Must Respect Human Rights**
The sentencing of Lev Shlosberg is a stark reminder of the Russian authorities' disregard for human rights. The country's laws and policies are increasingly being used to silence dissent and opposition. The Yabloko party's disqualification from the State Duma election is a clear example of this trend.
The Russian authorities must take immediate action to respect the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and political participation for all Russians. This includes repealing legislation criminalizing peaceful anti-war expression and releasing all individuals who have been targeted for their peaceful beliefs.
**Table of Charges**
| Charge | Article of the Russian Criminal Code | | --- | --- | | Repeated discreditation of the Russian Armed Forces | 280.3(1) | | Dissemination of deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces | 207.3(2)(d) |
