Russian dissident Yevgeny Roizman, one of his biggest critics, pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial today. Kremlin who remain in the country and are accused of “slandering” the Russian armed forces.

Roizman, 60, showed up at a court hearing in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, according to a YouTube live stream of the hearing by his supporters. He strongly condemned the large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine since its inception on February 24, 2022

When asked by the judge whether he admits his guilt in the case, Yevgeny Roizman answered “no” and added that he would express his opinion on this matter in more detail after the indictment was presented by the prosecution.

Roizman, the former mayor of Yekaterinburg, has been accused of “slandering” the Russian military in a video he posted on YouTube in July 2022 criticizing Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

He faces up to three years in prison.

Yevgeny Roizman, mayor of Yekaterinburg from 2013 to 2018, is one of the last major opposition figures left in Russia who has so far escaped a harsh prison sentence.

^{According to Reuters, APE – MEB}