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yesterday

Russia Hands Navalny Ally 18-Year Sentence In Absentia

It follows the house arrest of Yabloko lawmaker Lev Shlosberg on charges of discrediting the Russian military.

Lev Schlosberg, prominent opposition figure and deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, attends a meeting of the party's political committee in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Image
FILE - Leonid Volkov, chief of staff for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny watches a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)
Leonid Volkov lives in exile in Lithuania

Overview

  • Leonid Volkov, a top aide to late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, was sentenced in absentia by a Russian military court to 18 years in prison.
  • He was found guilty on over 40 counts across nine cases, covering justifying terrorism, spreading false information about the army, fraud and forming an extremist organization.
  • In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a 2 million ruble fine and banned Volkov from using the internet for 10 years.
  • Volkov, who has lived in Lithuania since 2019 and has been on Russia’s wanted list since 2021, ridiculed the verdict in social media posts.
  • Separately this week, Yabloko lawmaker Lev Shlosberg was placed under house arrest on charges of discrediting the Russian military, signaling an intensifying crackdown on dissent.