State prosecutors in the northwestern city of Pskov have asked a judge to sentence veteran opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 12 years and one month in prison for “discrediting” and spreading “fake news” about the Russian military, the liberal Yabloko party said Friday.
The requested sentence combines maximum penalties under wartime censorship laws with a previous November 2025 conviction in which Shlosberg was sentenced to 420 hours of community service for violating Russia's “foreign agent” law, the exiled news outlet Mediazona reported.
Shlosberg, a senior member of Yabloko, pleaded not guilty, instead accusing prosecutors of “discrediting” Russian law.
The military “fakes” charge stems from a Feb. 25, 2022, Telegram post in which Shlosberg reshared content from the now-defunct Ekho Moskvy radio station. The post featured a British tabloid cover depicting President Vladimir Putin alongside a bloodied woman.
Shlosberg argued in court that he made the post before Russia passed its wartime censorship laws.
The separate “discrediting” charge, meanwhile, is linked to a January 2025 public debate in which Shlosberg was accused of calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Shlosberg denied publishing a video of the debate on social media and noted that the specific statements cited by prosecutors were actually made by his debate opponent.
The legal proceedings have been marked by procedural irregularities, according to independent news outlets. Novaya Gazeta reported that the Pskov City Court judge refused to question Shlosberg directly, reading transcripts from earlier sessions instead.
In addition, after Shlosberg’s three defense attorneys missed hearings due to illness and scheduling conflicts, the judge appointed a state lawyer and rejected motions to decline the representation.
The sentencing request comes days after Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko’s federal candidate list from upcoming State Duma elections. An appeal of that ruling is scheduled for Monday.
A date for Shlosberg’s verdict has not yet been announced.
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