The court in Pskov, north-western Russia, delivered its verdict on Monday. It found Shlosberg guilty of “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation”. The prosecution had demanded 12 years and one month in jail. The criminal charges were brought following Shlosberg’s comments published on social media. In
Hundreds gathered outside the Moscow courthouse, chanting “Russia” and “Yabloko” – the Russian word for “apple” – as the eight-hour hearing dragged on. Many carried apples as a sign of support. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, any remaining opposition to the Kremlin has been crushed. Public shows of
In early 2024, Nadezhdin attempted to run as a presidential candidate on an anti-war manifesto, calling for an end to the hostilities in Ukraine. At the time, he told the BBC that he was supported by “dozens of millions of people” who did not want “Russia to be in this track of authoritarianism and militarism”.
Russian authorities have continued to repress what little internal opposition remains in the country, detaining a well-known blogger and taking steps to prevent a local politician from running for parliament. Blogger Ilya Remeslo was a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin until he took a dramatic U-turn last March, calling the president a “war criminal and