Russia jails opposition politician for 11 years over Ukraine war criticism

A prominent figure in Russia’s liberal Yabloko party has been handed an 11-year and one-month sentence in a penal colony after denouncing the conflict in Ukraine as a disaster for his country.Lev Shlosberg, who serves as the party’s deputy chairman, faced charges of discrediting the Russian armed forces alongside disseminating false information regarding their actions.Addressing the court in the city of Pskov during his final statement last Friday, Shlosberg asserted his innocence, arguing that he was undergoing a politically motivated trial while renewing his demands for an immediate ceasefire in the four-and-a-half year war.The ruling, published by the court, follows a 10 August decision by Russia’s Supreme Court to exclude Yabloko from contesting a parliamentary election next month.As t