the news now
This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

Russian Court Sentences Anti-War Politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 Years in Prison

morning · · thread: Russia's Central Election Commission Registers Yabloko Party for State Duma Elections

10 sources across 10 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • Deutsche Welle Germany · Centre · Public · German federal public-law corporation
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group
  • The Times of Israel Israel · Centre · Seth Klarman (majority backer)
  • Corriere della Sera Italy · Centre-right · RCS MediaGroup (Cairo Communication)
  • Meduza Latvia · Centre-left · Crowdfunded; exiled Russian newsroom
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA
  • Taipei Times Taiwan · Centre-left · Liberty Times Group
  • Kyiv Independent Ukraine · Centre · Reader-funded, journalist-owned

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

A court in Pskov sentenced Lev Shlosberg, the 63 year old deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in a penal colony on Monday. Shlosberg was convicted of repeatedly discrediting the Russian army and spreading fake news about the military. The charges stemmed from a recorded debate in which he advocated for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine and a repost of a Daily Mirror cover featuring President Vladimir Putin and an injured Ukrainian woman. Shlosberg maintained his innocence and described the proceedings as a political trial. In his final statement, he called the war a catastrophe for Russia and emphasized the need to save human lives.

On the same day, Russia's Supreme Court upheld a decision to bar Yabloko from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for September. Yabloko is described by multiple sources as the only registered political party in Russia that overtly opposes the war. The ban followed a lawsuit by the pro Kremlin Rodina party, which accused Yabloko of receiving foreign funding and violating copyright laws. Police detained dozens of supporters and journalists outside the court during the proceedings.

Outlets with a center left lean framed the sentencing as a tragedy of the collapse of Russian justice and a direct reprisal for Shlosberg's honesty. Center right outlets characterized the event as a step by the Kremlin to stifle dissent and erase the only pacifist party. Center outlets reported the events as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures leading up to the legislative elections.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
Framed the sentencing as a tragedy of the collapse of Russian justice and a direct reprisal for Shlosberg's honesty.
Centre
Reported the events as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures leading up to the legislative elections.
Centre-right
Characterized the event as a step by the Kremlin to stifle dissent and erase the only pacifist party.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.