Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza sentenced to 25 years in prison, Navalny terms the ruling 'fascist'
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian opposition leader and a staunch Vladimir Putin critic, was convicted of treason by a Russian court on Monday. He has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Moscow City Court found the 41-year-old guilty of treason, “false information about the Russian army,” and affiliation with an “undesirable organisation,” Interfax reported.His trial was held behind closed doors.
Accordingto the Mediazona news site, the hearing was attended by several Kara-Murza supporters and foreign diplomats including a USembassy official named David Bernstein.
“Russia will be free, tell everyone,” Kara-Murza was quoted as saying after the verdict, according to the independent news site Avtozak.info.
Kara-Murza's wife later said that a25-year sentence shows Kremlin is "afraid of him".
His attorney also slammed the decision, saying he was a political prisoner whose prosecution had no relation to justice.
)
Earth-Theia collision created the moon in just 5 hours, study shows
)
Nigerian Navy discovers 99,000 litres of suspected stolen, illegally refined products as it intensifies anti-crude oil theft operations
)
Man pushes Russian humanoid robot. Watch what happens next
)
Who is Aditi Paudel? 17-year-old becomes Japan's first literacy ambassador
)
Coast Guard jet carrying DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin makes emergency landing after engine failure
)
Chaos in Ukraine's Kyiv: Zelensky calls shootout between spy services 'absolutely shameful'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the Su-30MKI flies up to 8,000 kilometres using mid-air refueling
)
Trump says he’s ‘happy’ Harry and Meghan left US , calls them disrespectful
)
Pakistan faces growing hunger crisis amid rising food insecurity
)
EU bans Brazilian meat imports over antibiotic violation rules
)
Belgium, latest EU state cautioned by India over arms for Pakistan; gets assurances from Brussels
)
Houthis target Yemen with ballistic missiles, Yemeni army downs several drones
)
The Odyssey star Elliot Page opens up about struggling to land his next acting role after starring in Christopher Nolan film
)
No selfies with God, no reels inside: Tamil Nadu CM bans smartphones in temples | Gravitas
)
Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down Pak fighter jet retires, takes up private job
)
Report: Egypt eyes new Rafale F4 deal amid air force modernisation push
)
Rubio on Modi-Pezeshkian meeting: 'No country should help Iran evade sanctions'
)
High Xylitol levels in blood linked to cardiovascular risk
)
WION Exclusive: Hasina says she reads father’s unfinished memoir while planning Dhaka return
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI uses a giant air brake on its back instead of its wings
)
Bangladesh batter Towhid Hridoy creates history with 350 not out in South Africa
)
Beginning of the end? More glacial lake outbursts threaten millions in India, Nepal and China
)
India's data centre boom: AI boom fuels $31.6 trillion data race
)
J&K medical interns continue fourth-day protest, demand stipend hike to ₹30,000
)
Trump suggests renaming Strait of Hormuz to ‘Trump Strait’
)
Pakistanis are eating less. What they are eating instead is even more alarming
)
Nepal floods: 1,204 dead, 4,216 missing as tearful relatives pray for the missing
)
ISRO EOS-05 launch: GSLV to lift heaviest payload in its 25-year flight history
)
EU and NATO step up pressure on Russia after Germany ‘escalation incidents’
)
Husband uses secret camera to record wife’s affair, wins divorce case, ends up in jail for spying
)
At least 2 killed in Minneapolis shooting, suspect also dead
)
Manipur violence: 25 houses torched in Manipur’s Kangpokpi a day after 10 homes were burnt along Imphal-Tamenglong road
)
US Mint releases $1 coins featuring Donald Trump, priced up to $154.50
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the glass canopy on the Su-30MKI has a distinct golden tint
"The criminal case against him was nothing to do with justice from the beginning," attorney Vadim Prokhorov said in Washington.
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny also denounced the sentence as "shameless and simply fascist".
"I was deeply outraged by the sentence delivered against Vladimir Kara-Murza today," Navalny said in audio remarks released by his team. "I consider it to be unlawful, shameless and simply fascist."
Russia has been clamping down even a fraction of war dissent ever since the invasion of Ukraine began.
The politician was detained in April 2022, on charges of “spreading false information about the Russian army” in an address to US state legislators on March 15. During that speech to the Arizona House of Representatives, he denouncedmilitary action in Ukraine.
The authorities added treason charges while he was in custody. Russia adopted a law criminalising spreading “false information” about its military shortly after it sent troops into Ukraine on February24, 2022. Authorities have used the law to stifle criticism of what the Kremlin calls “a special military operation.”
Kara-Murza holds dual British-Russian citizenship. Though born in Russia, the 41-year-oldreceived British citizenship after moving to the UK with his mother when he was 15.
Moscow Times newspaper reported that Kara-Murza suffers from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy, which his lawyers say was due to poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017.
They said that his condition has worsened in prison, and he was too unwell to attend some of his hearings.Kara-Murza claims that he was poisoned twice because of his political activities, but he continued to spend long periods of time in Russia.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE