Russia's prominent anti-war politician jailed for 11 years

A tribunal in Pskov, north‑western Russia, sentenced prominent anti‑war politician Ilya Shlosberg to 11 years in prison on Monday after finding him guilty of “public actions aimed at discrediting the usage of the equipped forces of the Russian Federation.” The prosecution had sought 12 years and 1 period of imprisonment. In his closing speech, Shlosberg again rejected the charges, describing the proceedings as “an imitation of an investigation” and saying they were intended “to achieve an evidently amerciable goal,” according to a transcript published by Novaya Gazeta. He also repeated his call for a ceasefire in the Russia‑Ukraine war and the commencement of a “political dialogue.” The presiding judge repeatedly interrupted him. Yabloko was removed from the ballot earlier this month after accusations that the party publicly supports the “international LGBT movement,” which Russia’s Supreme Court designates as extremist. A separate suit filed by the pro‑Kremlin nationalist party Rodina alleged copyright infringement by Yabloko, which the party denies. All ten other parties contesting the 18‑20 September election have declared their support for the war in Ukraine. The latest ratings show the ruling United Russia party slipping to 32.1% earlier this month—the lowest figure since May, according to the state‑owned pollster VCIOM. Nonetheless, the Kremlin is widely believed to possess the resources to deliver the election outcome it desires. Independent election monitors have been deprived of much of their capacity to observe and challenge the process.