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A court in Pskov, Russia convicted prominent opposition figure Lev Shlosberg on Monday, sentencing the 63-year-old to 11 years and one month in prison for his public statements against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The ruling represents another escalation in the Kremlin’s suppression of dissent as parliamentary elections approach next month, with authorities leveling charges of “discrediting” the Russian military and spreading “false information.”
Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party—the sole officially registered political party openly opposing the war—faced trial in the city located roughly 370 miles northwest of Moscow. His prosecution stems from remarks made during a public debate calling for an end to hostilities and posts shared on his Telegram channel, including a British newspaper front page depicting a bloodied woman alongside President Vladimir Putin with the caption “Her blood … his hands.”
This marks the second trial for Shlosberg in two years. He previously served in Pskov’s regional legislature from 2016 to 2021 and has been branded a “foreign agent,” a designation carrying severe stigma in Russia that invites intensified government monitoring. He was remanded into custody in December 2025 and has remained imprisoned since.
During his final courtroom statement Friday, Shlosberg characterized Russia’s trajectory over three decades as moving from “hopes for freedom to the almost complete destruction of human and civil rights and freedoms.” He warned that Ukraine’s true casualty figures would prompt national reckoning once revealed.
Yabloko denounced the conviction as a “brutal sentence” imposed for patriotism and advocacy of ceasefire negotiations, announcing plans to challenge the verdict. Amnesty International condemned the outcome as retaliatory persecution, with Eastern Europe director Marie Struthers calling for Shlosberg’s immediate release and demanding Russia repeal laws criminalizing anti-war speech.
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