Russian opposition leader Kara-Mursa sentenced to 25 years in prison

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The court ruled on Monday in the controversial verdict against the opposition leader, who had also sharply criticized Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is the largest sentence ever imposed on an opposition figure in Russia. The 41-year-old, who survived poison attacks, is considered one of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s harshest critics.

The court agreed with the request of the public prosecutor’s office, which had demanded the sentence at the beginning of April. According to his lawyer Maria Eismont, the politician is in poor health. She recently said that her client had lost 17 kilograms in custody.

Kara-Mursa was also accused of discrediting the Russian military. State media, citing investigators, had alleged that the former journalist had helped organizations from NATO countries undermine Russia’s national security for a fee of around €30,000 a month.

Putin’s prominent opponent narrowly survived a mysterious poisoning twice. Kara-Mursa was pursued by the same FSB agents alleged to have been involved in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to research by the Bellingcat research group.

The politician Kara-Mursa received last year the prestigious Vaclav Havel Prize from the Council of Europe. It takes incredible courage to stand up to the authorities in today’s Russia, Parliamentary Assembly Speaker Tiny Kox said in October.

Kara-Mursa’s wife received the human rights award. She read out a statement from him, according to which he dedicates the profit to all those who rose up against the war in Ukraine in Russia.

Since 2013, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has awarded the Vaclav Havel Prize for commitment to human rights. The prize is worth 60,000 euros and is named after the deceased civil rights activist and former president of the Czech Republic.

(SDA)

Source: Blick