A court in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov has sentenced opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 420 hours of community service on charges of failing to comply with “foreign agent” rules, the Yabloko party said Wednesday.
The court found Shlosberg guilty of keeping five videos on his personal social media page without the required “foreign agent” label, for which prosecutors sought 440 hours of community service for the politician.
Shlosberg denied any wrongdoing, and his defense pledged to appeal the ruling.
A video shared by the RusNews Telegram channel showed Shlosberg shaking hands with his lawyers and posing for photographs after the verdict.
Yabloko said it was Russia’s first criminal “foreign agent” prosecution brought by the police rather than the usual regulatory body.
The case spanned 20 hearings and almost 1,400 pages of material.
Shlosberg is a senior member of Yabloko’s Pskov region branch and among the few opposition members to remain in Russia despite his opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Justice Ministry labeled him a “foreign agent” in June 2023.
Yabloko is one of Russia’s few legal opposition parties. It has consistently opposed the war in Ukraine and called for a ceasefire, though it has faced declining visibility and pressure under wartime censorship laws.
Shlosberg remains under house arrest as part of a second criminal case for “discrediting” the Russian military after participating in a public debate.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
The date for a verdict in that second case has not yet been publicly confirmed.
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