Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of dire consequences for Ukraine if the country loses the battle of Bakhmut and says he’s ready to speak to Chinese President Xi. Video / AP
The fallout from Russia’s sentencing of political dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the Kremlin’s most vocal critics, has continued across the globe.
A single picture of Kara-Murza, inside a cage and handcuffed as he was jailed for 25 years, has led to leaders from the United Nations, UK and Germanycalling for action.
Putin has a long history of brutal retaliation against political opponents. But Kara-Murza, who specifically took aim at the President’s attempts to seize Ukraine, has become what some believe as a symbol of hope for anti-establishment Russians.
His high-profile trial is the latest in a string of cases against opposition voices in Russia, in a crackdown that has intensified since Vladimir Putin sent troops over the Ukrainian border.
In this handout photo released by the Moscow City Court, Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court on April 17. Photo / AP
Kara-Murza, 41, was found guilty of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army and being affiliated with an “undesirable organisation”.
The Washington Post’s editorial board has now called for the US to intervene over the verdict, claiming men and women like Kara-Murza are the “best hope for a free, post-Putin Russia”.
“The time has come for the United States to step up on behalf of Kara-Murza — not only because he represents this country’s democratic values, but also because he and others like him are the best hope for a free, post-Putin Russia,” the article read.
The editorial board believes Kara-Murza, who is a permanent resident of the US, should be returned to North America, citing fears for his health.
“Kara-Murza should be designated by the United States as unlawfully or wrongfully detained, which will facilitate negotiating a prisoner exchange with Russia,” the Post article continued.
Kara-Murza will be transported to a strict penal colony following the closed-door trial, overseen by Moscow-appointed officials.
In his last words in court last week, the defendant said he stood by his political statements, including those that criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I subscribe to every word that I have said, that I am incriminated for today,” Kara-Murza said in comments published by veteran journalist Alexei Venediktov.
“Not only do I not repent for any of it I am proud of it,” he added.
Kara-Murza was the target of attempted poisoning in 2015 and 2017 following comments against the state. He now suffers from polyneuropathy, which was caused by trauma to peripheral nerves throughout the body.
Vladimir Putin.
His wife Evgenia worries that his prison sentence is actually now a death sentence.
“I do realise that he doesn’t have five years, let alone 25,” Kara-Murza told a panel following her husband’s verdict.
“A quarter of a century is an ‘A+’ for your courage, consistency and honesty in your year-long work. I am infinitely proud of you, my love, and I’m always by your side,” Kara-Murza wrote on Twitter.
His lawyer Maria Eismont said her client would appeal and “believes he has done sincere good for Russia”.
“This is a terrible verdict, but it is a very high testament to Vladimir’s work,” she said,
Washington officials slammed Russia’s “escalating campaign of repression”, while the UK also urged for Kara-Murza’s immediate release.
However, the Russian foreign ministry lashed back at London’s response, accusing them of “direct interference in the internal affairs of Russia”, branding the British ambassador to Moscow’s remarks “unacceptable”.
The UN also called for the Kremlin critic’s release in a statement released immediately after his sentencing.
“Kara-Murza was tried on charges that appear related to the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of opinion, expression, and association,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.
The European Union condemned the “outrageously harsh court decision” while Germany criticised “the shocking level” of repression.
Russia’s Memorial human rights group rallied behind Kara-Murza, stating “This is not the first unjust and criminal conviction in modern Russia, but even in the general context it stands out for its obvious illegality”.
