A Moscow court sentenced oppositionist Ilya Yashin to eight and a half years in prison for criticizing the military offensive against Ukraine.
He was found guilty of “spreading false information” about the military and convicted of “killing civilians” in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, near Kiev, where Russia has been accused of crimes it has denied.
Jashin (39) welcomed today’s decision with a smile.
Yashin, a former Krasnoselsky district councilor, was arrested in June and tried on charges of “murdering civilians” in the Ukrainian city of Bucha in a statement broadcast live on YouTube.
His arrest did not stop him from continuing to criticize the authorities and condemn the military intervention in Ukraine.
After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, the Russian authorities strengthened their legal arsenal to curb critical voices. A new criminal offense of spreading false information about the Russian military has been introduced.
Several people have already been sentenced to several years in prison under the new law, after being found guilty of publishing “false information” or “discrediting” the army.