The Russian opposition activist was sentenced to 25 years in prison for state treason and slandering the military
Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza during hearing in the Moscow City Court © Press Service of the Moscow City Court; RIA Novosti
The UK has condemned the conviction of Russian-British dual-national Vladimir Kara-Murza after he was sentenced by a Moscow Court on Monday to 25 years in prison for state treason and spreading disinformation about the Russian military.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has officially summoned Andrey Kelin, the Russian Ambassador to the UK, over the verdict, which London called “politically-motivated.” The office said it will make clear to the envoy that the UK “considers Mr Kara-Murza’s conviction to be contrary to Russia’s international obligations on human rights, including the right to a fair trial.”
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly applauded Kara-Murza for denouncing Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine and claimed that Moscow’s “lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming.”
The Foreign Office noted that the judge presiding over Kara-Murza’s case has already been sanctioned by the UK for “previous involvement in human rights violations” and said it will consider further measures against those involved in the activist’s detention.
Kara-Murza, a former reporter who holds both Russian and UK citizenship and has permanent residence status in the US, was arrested in April 2022 on suspicion of slandering the Russian military. Charges were filed after he delivered a speech before the Arizona State Congress in March, in which he accused Russian troops of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Later, he was also charged with state treason and cooperating with “undesirable” organizations linked to foreign powers hostile to Russia.
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The 41-year-old activist served as vice chairman of the Washington-based Free Russia Foundation – a US-funded pressure group which pushes for “regime change” in Moscow – and is a close associate of exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He is also considered a protege of the late opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, and acted as chairman of the German-based Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom.
On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced him to 25 years in prison as well as a 400,000 ruble ($4,900) fine and a ban on practicing journalism for seven years. Kara-Murza has denied the allegations, insisting that the charges against him are politically motivated. His legal defense has vowed to appeal the verdict.
