The deputy chairman of the Yabloko party was convicted of “discrediting” the military just as his party lost its appeal to stand in upcoming parliamentary elections.
PSKOV, Russia — A Russian court has sentenced prominent opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for speaking out against the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Shlosberg, the 63-year-old deputy chairman of the liberal Yabloko party, was convicted on Monday by a court in the north-western city of Pskov. He faced charges of “discrediting” the Russian armed forces and spreading “false information” regarding the military’s actions in Ukraine.
The case against Shlosberg centered on two primary incidents. Prosecutors cited his participation in a video debate where he referred to the conflict as a game of “bloody chess” and called for an immediate ceasefire. The “fake news” charge stemmed from a post on his Telegram channel in February 2022, shortly after the invasion began, wherein he reshared an image of a British tabloid front page depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside a bloodied Ukrainian woman.
During his closing statement on Friday, Shlosberg maintained his innocence, characterizing the proceedings as a political trial rather than a legal one. “A single person is imprisoned, yet fear seeps into the hearts of millions,” he stated, according to a transcript provided by the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona. He further criticized the human cost of the war, adding, “Today, cemeteries in our country, including military ones, are growing far more rapidly than maternity wards, kindergartens, and schools.”
The sentencing arrives amid an intensified clampdown on political dissent ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18-20.
In a closely timed, separate ruling on Monday, Russia’s Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision to formally bar the Yabloko party from participating in the upcoming State Duma elections. Yabloko stands as the only officially registered political party in Russia that has overtly opposed the war in Ukraine. The court’s decision followed a legal challenge brought by the pro-Kremlin nationalist party Rodina.
Join us on WhatsApp
The combined legal actions effectively sideline one of the country’s most vocal anti-war political organizations. Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov condemned Shlosberg’s sentence as “barbaric” and confirmed that the party would appeal both the criminal conviction and the electoral ban.
Human rights organizations have also strongly criticized the court’s decision. Amnesty International labeled the sentence a “blatant reprisal” for exercising freedom of expression, calling on Russian authorities to repeal legislation that criminalizes peaceful anti-war statements.
Shlosberg, who previously served in the regional legislature of Pskov, has been held in pre-trial detention since December 2025. It is the second trial he has faced in the past two years, having previously been convicted of violating regulations associated with his government-designated status as a “foreign agent.”
