By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Independent News ExpressIndependent News Express
  • Home
  • International
    InternationalShow More
    G7 finance leaders seek non-tariff consensus in Canada, may face US pushback
    Ahead G7 Summit, Finance Ministers Seek Non-tariff Consensus In Canada, May Face US Pushback
    1 week ago
    Over 28,000 Women And Girls Killed In Gaza Since October 2023
    1 week ago
    Global Aid Cut
    New Report Reveals How Global Aid Cuts Affecting Women’s Organisations Aiding Women In Crises
    2 weeks ago
    UNICEF Raises Alarm Over 14m Children Worldwide At Risk Of Malnutrition
    2 months ago
    United Nations for Women
    In 8 Days, 830 Killed In Gaza – UN Women Raises Alarm
    2 months ago
  • Africa
    Africa
    Show More
    Top News
    Human Rights Watch Kicks Over 10-Year Jail Term Giving Burundian Journalist
    2 years ago
    Democracy In Africa In Crisis, Afrobarometer Warns
    2 years ago
    Hopesalive Initiative for Africa
    Queen Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi Receives African Award In Ethiopia
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    ECOWAS Marathon Race Director Okon Congratulates Commission on 50th Anniversary
    2 days ago
    Africa Day: Majority of Africans Want African Nations Be Given Greater Influence In International Decision-making Bodies
    4 days ago
    Edelman Africa Launches Regional Advisory To Support Global Institution Growth In Africa
    2 weeks ago
    African Union Champions Artificial Intelligence for Africa’s Socioeconomic Transformation
    2 months ago
  • Corporate News
    • Media Outreach
  • Politics
    Politics
    Show More
    Top News
    Peter Obi’s Big Win In Lagos Set Social Media On ‘Fire’
    2 years ago
    Tayo Ayinde, A Leading Choice For Nigerian President-Elect’s Chief Of Staff
    2 years ago
    15th BRICS Summit
    Timi Frank Blasts Shettima For Gloating Over Predetermined Tribunal Judgement
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    LG Election: Stakeholders Appeal To APC Not To Allow Chairmen Run For 3rd term
    3 weeks ago
    More APC Chairmanship Aspirants Reject Indirect Primary For Local Govt Elections In Lagos State
    4 weeks ago
    Youth Party Sets May 18 for Lagos LG Primary Elections, Slashes Fees For Women and PWDs
    1 month ago
    Oyo State Faces Herculean Task in Picking Makinde’s Successor – Chief Ayorinde
    2 months ago
  • News
    • Agriculture
    • Breaking News
    • Tech
    • Maritime
    • Crime
    • Art & Culture
    News
    Show More
    Top News
    Ondo Governor, Akeredolu Begins Construction Of First Flyover In Akure
    2 years ago
    Celebration Of Life: Reverend Adewumi Jegede Of Later House Of God Assembly Buried Amid Pomp
    12 months ago
    Pa Abdulfatah Amoo Ayanwale
    Pa Ayanwale Dies At 76, Fidau Prayers Holds 8 August
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    IMSUAA 2025 Convention: Two Artistes From Lagos Chapter To Light Up Event
    4 days ago
    Lagos SWAN Celebrates Yeni Kuti On Her Special Day
    5 days ago
    Ado Ekiti Honours One of Its Own: A Tribute To Chief Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi
    6 days ago
    Owo Security Summit Holds 26 May
    7 days ago
  • Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Concert & Events
    Entertainment
    Show More
    Top News
    Keep Up With Gripping Story Of ‘The Rishantes’ Showing On GOtv 
    2 years ago
    DStv Media Sales – MIPAN Conference Explores Role Of Video Content In Building Brand Loyalty
    2 years ago
    Sporting Lagos Beat Remo Stars To Emerge Naija Super 8 Champions
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    Nigerian Idol Season 10 Live Shows Are Underway as the Top 10 Battle for Stardom
    3 days ago
    Nigeria Strengthens Fight Against Content Piracy Through Strategic Partnerships
    7 days ago
    Prestige, Impact: Why AMVCA is the People’s Award Show
    3 weeks ago
    Celebrating African Cinema: AMVCA’s Growing Influence in Global Entertainment
    1 month ago
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Love & Life
    • Food & Drink
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Relationship
    • Sex
    Lifestyle
    Show More
    Top News
    The Language Of Christmas Is Love By Most Rev. Badejo
    2 years ago
    HEPHZIBAH News: The Truth About Deeper Life Exposes
    11 months ago
    Lagos SWAN Holds Cultural Sports And Traditional Fashion Fiesta
    1 year ago
    Latest News
    Lagos SWAN Joins UN To Celebrate World Nutrition Month At Unilag Confab
    3 days ago
    Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art and Toledo Museum of Art Launch Historic Cultural Exchange
    3 weeks ago
    Piracy in Africa’s Creative Sector: How Creators Can Protect Their Content
    1 month ago
    Fanti Carnival Returns To Lagos This Easter Sunday
    1 month ago
  • Business
    • Banking & Finance
    • Oil & Gas
    BusinessShow More
    Lagos Will Continue To Lead Initiatives That Accelerate Economic Diversification – Sanwo-Olu
    1 week ago
    Afreximbank
    Afreximbank Reports Strong Performance For Q1 2025 In Line With expectations
    1 week ago
    Pan-African Payment & Settlement System
    Nigeria Unlocks Intra-African Trade With New Pan-African Payment & Settlement System Policy Boost
    3 weeks ago
    Impact Of Online Trading Platforms Like Temu On Nigeria’s Economy
    3 weeks ago
    Unity Bank Launches GenFi, Targets Children, Teens With Gamified Banking Platform
    3 weeks ago
  • Health
    Health
    Show More
    Top News
    WHO Raises Alarm Over Rise In Cholera Cases In Nigeria, Malawi, Cameroon, 7 Other Africa Nations
    2 years ago
    Tackling Preventable Diseases, Africa Needs To Vaccinate 33m Children To Put Progress Back On Track
    2 years ago
    USAID
    United States Partners Woman-Owned Nigerian Company To Fight Malnutrition
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    Alimosho Football Coaches Council Set For Health, Safety Business Workshop
    7 days ago
    World Hypertension Day: Merck Foundation Commits To Improving Cardiovascular And Diabetes Care Across Africa
    2 weeks ago
    First Lady Gives Paediatric Support To Indigent Patients At Lagos General Hospital
    2 weeks ago
    Salt Awareness Week: CAPPA Urges Fed Nigerian Govt To Accelerate Salt Reduction Targets Regulation
    2 weeks ago
  • More
    • Sports
    • Aviation/Transportation
    • Deliverance Hour
    • Industry & Labour
    • Insurance
    • Interview
    • Judiciary
    • Metro
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Religious
    • Romance
    • Science & Discovery
Reading: Putin Critic, Opposition Activist Jailed 25 Years In Russia
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
Independent News ExpressIndependent News Express
Aa
  • Home
  • International
  • Africa
  • Corporate News
  • Politics
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Health
  • More
Search
  • Home
  • International
  • Africa
  • Corporate News
    • Media Outreach
  • Politics
  • News
    • Agriculture
    • Breaking News
    • Tech
    • Maritime
    • Crime
    • Art & Culture
  • Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Concert & Events
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Love & Life
    • Food & Drink
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Relationship
    • Sex
  • Business
    • Banking & Finance
    • Oil & Gas
  • Health
  • More
    • Sports
    • Aviation/Transportation
    • Deliverance Hour
    • Industry & Labour
    • Insurance
    • Interview
    • Judiciary
    • Metro
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Religious
    • Romance
    • Science & Discovery
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Independent News Express > Blog > International > Putin Critic, Opposition Activist Jailed 25 Years In Russia
International

Putin Critic, Opposition Activist Jailed 25 Years In Russia

Last updated: 2023/04/17 at 3:34 PM
2 years ago
Share
SHARE

Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in jail in Russia for charges linked to his criticism of the war in Ukraine.

He was found guilty of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army and being affiliated with an “undesirable organisation”.

The Russian-British former journalist and politician is the latest of several Putin opponents to have been arrested or forced to flee Russia.

- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

He has denied all of the charges.

Last week, he said in a statement: “I subscribe to every word that I have said… Not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it.”

“I know that the day will come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear,” he added in remarks posted online. “Our society will open its eyes and shudder when it realises what crimes were committed in its name.”

Mr Kara-Murza’s 25-year sentence was the maximum sought by prosecutors and is the longest sentence an opposition figure has received since the war in Ukraine began.

It took only minutes for the judge to rule on his case – sometimes the delivery of verdicts and announcing sentencing can take a long time in Russian courts.

The judge said Mr Kara-Murza would serve his time in a “strict regime correctional colony” and that he would be fined 400,000 roubles ($4,900; £4,000).

The tough sentence is a sign that in today’s Russia the authorities are not only determined to silence critics but also to neutralise anything or anyone they believe represents a threat to the political system.

The BBC was not allowed access into the courthouse and only a handful of journalists from Russian state media were granted access, along with the defendant’s mother and lawyer.

Instead, reporters and foreign ambassadors crowded into a separate room to view proceedings on two TV screens.

Speaking outside the court after the sentencing, Mr Kara-Murza’s lawyer, Maria Eismon, said the tough sentence was “terrifying” but also a “high appreciation” of her client’s work.

“When [Mr Kara-Murza] heard it was 25 years, he said: my self-esteem even rose; I realised I’d been doing everything right!” she said.

  • Ukraine war: Where are Russia’s opposition leaders now?

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny also weighed in on Mr Kara-Murza’s sentencing, calling it “revenge” by the Kremlin “for the fact that he did not die at one time” after he allegedly survived two poisonings by Russian authorities.

Mr Kara-Murza played a key role in persuading Western governments to sanction Russian officials for human rights abuses and corruption.

He was arrested a year ago in Moscow, initially for disobeying a police officer. More serious charges were levelled at him once he was in custody.

Mr Kara-Murza’s case was partly based on a speech he made to politicians in the US last year, where he said Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine with cluster bombs in residential areas and “the bombing of maternity hospitals and schools”.

Those claims have been independently documented – but deemed false by Russian investigators who said the defence ministry did “not permit the use of banned means… of conducting war” and insisted Ukraine’s civilian population was not a target.

Another charge stemmed from an event for political prisoners at which Mr Kara-Murza referred to what investigators called Russia’s “supposedly repressive policies”.

Vladimir Kara-Murza awaits the verdict in his trial
Vladimir Kara-Murza will serve his 25-year sentence at a penal colony

Last week, a copy of a speech he made to the closed court was released, in which he said his trial reminded him of a Stalin-era show trial of the 1930s.

“I only blame myself for one thing,” he added. “I failed to convince enough of my compatriots and politicians in democratic countries of the danger that the current Kremlin regime poses for Russia and for the world.”

His sentence has been widely condemned, with the British government summoning its Russian ambassador.

“Russia’s lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

The US State Department also said it condemned the verdict and described him as “yet another target of the Russian government’s escalating campaign of repression”.

Not-for-profit group Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, described the verdict as a “travesty of justice” and called on Russia to “immediately vacate the verdict and unconditionally free him”.

Mr Kara-Murza comes from a well-known Soviet dissident family. His father, Vladimir Sr, was also a critic of the government.

He received British citizenship when he moved to the UK as a teenager with his mother and he later attended Cambridge University.

He began his career in journalism before becoming an adviser to Boris Nemtsov, another prominent Russian opposition leader and politician who was shot dead in Moscow in 2015.

Mr Kara-Murza was involved in the passing of the Magnitsky Act in the US – a key piece of legislation that helped secure the adoption of sanctions targeting human rights abusers in Russia.

He nearly died twice after being poisoned and moved to the US with his family to recover. He later returned to Russia but refused to leave after the invasion of Ukraine, despite the growing risk to those who opposed the government.

Source: BBC

You Might Also Like

Ahead G7 Summit, Finance Ministers Seek Non-tariff Consensus In Canada, May Face US Pushback

Over 28,000 Women And Girls Killed In Gaza Since October 2023

New Report Reveals How Global Aid Cuts Affecting Women’s Organisations Aiding Women In Crises

UNICEF Raises Alarm Over 14m Children Worldwide At Risk Of Malnutrition

In 8 Days, 830 Killed In Gaza – UN Women Raises Alarm

TAGGED: Putin, Russia, Vladimir Kara-Murza
INadminNG April 17, 2023 April 17, 2023
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Telegram Email Print
Previous Article UNIUYO: PHE Students Dazzle At Sports & Dance Event
Next Article European Heart Rhythm Association Awards Gold Medal to Footballer Iker Casillas
about us

Independent News Express (iNews Express), a publication of 4Ds Nigeria Limited, is birthed out of the desires of the founding fathers to report News as it is.

We value Professionalism, Excellence, Service, Creativity and Integrity.

The Company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Policy

Quick Links

  • Advertise with us
  • Newsletters
  • Deal

Categories

Find Us on Socials

© Independent News Express. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?