A Russian appeals court on Wednesday upheld the eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down to opposition politician Ilya Yashin for his criticism of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine amid intensifying repression in Russia, writes AFP.
According to an AFP correspondent at the court, the sentence handed down by the court of first instance in December “remains unchanged.”
39-year-old Yasin was found guilty of spreading “false information” about the Russian military.
I told the truth about this war
A charismatic dissident, he was convicted of condemning the “killing of civilians” live on YouTube in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, where the Russian military is accused of abuses that Moscow denies.
“The feeling of moral superiority over the thieves and murderers who seized power gives me strength. They know I am not afraid of them,” Yasin said at the meeting, according to a transcript released by his team.
“What is my fault? This is that I fulfilled my duty as a Russian politician and patriot and told the truth about this war,” he added.
After the hearing, one of his lawyers, Maria Eismont, reiterated that her client is innocent, as the accusation of “false information” is based only on the “opinion” of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to her, the court’s decision was predictable, “but no less illegal.” “Yasin is in a very cheerful mood,” she added, assuring that he “feels good.”
Increasing repression
Yashin’s trial was closely watched in Russia because he was one of the last known opponents of Vladimir Putin who was not imprisoned in Russia.
The surprising decision was made a day after another appeal was rejected – the appeal of the American journalist Evan Hershkovich, accused of espionage, who was held in a pre-trial detention center until the end of May.
Since launching its offensive against Ukraine in late February 2022, the Russian government has stepped up its crackdown on dissent, fining hundreds of people with fines and prison terms, or shutting down the last critical NGOs.
Now, well-known oppositionists who remained in the country, such as Oleksiy Navalny, Ilya Yashin and Volodymyr Kara-Murza, received serious prison terms.
On Monday, Volodymyr Kara-Murza was sentenced to a record 25-year prison term, including for “treason”, which is unprecedented cruelty to an opponent in the history of Russia since Soviet repression.
Kara-Murza’s lawyer, Vadym Prokhorov, said in an interview with “Voice of America” that he left Russia after being threatened with prosecution.
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Source: Hot News
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