Russian Court Sentences Opposition Lawmaker Lev Shlosberg to 11 Years for Anti-War Statements

A Russian court in Pskov sentenced Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the liberal Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in prison on charges of “discrediting” the armed forces and spreading “false information.” The verdict, delivered on Monday, follows a trial that began after Shlosberg called for an end to the war in Ukraine and posted a newspaper front page depicting a bloodied woman alongside President Vladimir Putin on his Telegram channel.

Shlosberg, 63, has previously been designated a “foreign agent” and was convicted in 2024 of violating related regulations. He has been held in pre-trial detention since December 2025. In his closing remarks, he warned that the war’s true death toll would cause the country to “shudder.”

In a separate ruling, Russia’s Supreme Court confirmed a lower-court decision to bar Yabloko from the State Duma ballot in the September 18-20 parliamentary election, rejecting the party’s appeal. The party, the only registered opposition group openly opposing the invasion, had previously been cleared to run by the Central Election Commission before a lawsuit by the pro-Kremlin Motherland Party led to its exclusion.

Yabloko officials said they will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court’s Presidium and possibly the Constitutional Court, emphasizing that the ruling highlights public demand for peace.

Amnesty International condemned Shlosberg’s prosecution, calling it a retaliation for exercising freedom of expression. The organization urged Russian authorities to release him and repeal laws criminalizing anti-war speech.