Russian court gives Navalny ally 18-yr sentence in absentia amid crackdown

Courts in Russia have convicted one opposition figure in absentia and placed another under house arrest as Moscow continues its crackdown on dissent.
Leonid Volkov, a close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty on criminal charges.
Moscow's Second Western District Military convicted Volkov under 40 counts including justifying terrorism, organising and financing an extremist group, rehabilitating Nazism, and creating a non-governmental organisation that violated citizens' rights, Russian news agencies reported.
As well as the prison sentence, Volkov was also fined 2 million rubles (approximately $25,000) and banned from using the internet for 10 years.
"Oh no! They banned me from the internet for 10 years as prosecutors requested, but I've already been using it," Volkov wrote in a tongue-in-cheek social media post after the sentence was released. "Damn. Whatever am I going to do?" Volkov, who was in charge of Navalny's regional offices and election campaigns, left Russia several years ago under pressure from the authorities. He led Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation between 2021 and 2023, during which time he was placed on the Russian government's list of terrorists and extremists. The case against him is widely seen in Russia as political motivated.
Separately, Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko opposition party, was placed under house arrest on Wednesday after being detained on charges of discrediting the Russian army.
A court in the city of Pskov, close to Russia's western border, ordered Shlosberg to be detained at home for two months pending investigation and trial, the court's press service said. His case has also been widely viewed as politically motivated.
Russian authorities have accused Shlosberg of discrediting the nation's military by calling for a ceasefire in Russia's war with Ukraine. Shlosberg has said that he did not share the social media video or administer the page on which it was posted. If found guilty, he faces up to five years imprisonment.
The politician, who has repeatedly criticised Moscow's war, was previously named as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities, a loaded term that carries connotations of Soviet-era treachery.
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has clamped down on all forms of dissent, targeting rights groups, independent media and other members of civil-society organisations, LGBTQ+ activists and certain religious affiliations.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Economic Times

an hour ago

• Economic Times

'All of Ukraine is ours...': Putin's shocking message stuns Zelenskyy, hints at taking Sumy next

In a bold speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that 'all of Ukraine' belongs to Russia. The statement underscores Russia's ongoing rejection of Ukrainian sovereignty and reveals the Kremlin's deepening territorial ambitions. Show more 04:13 09:10 10:24 02:58 03:41 01:16 10:45 03:16 01:28 04:12 03:29 03:27 01:56 09:11 08:37 13:00 10:50 03:24 09:53 11:26 01:37 08:42 01:16 08:29 08:44 01:46 08:43 07:22 04:22 05:03 15:41 03:55 12:26 09:45

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

'All of Ukraine is ours...': Putin's shocking message stuns Zelenskyy, hints at taking Sumy next

In a bold speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that 'all of Ukraine' belongs to Russia. The statement underscores Russia's ongoing rejection of Ukrainian sovereignty and reveals the Kremlin's deepening territorial ambitions. Show more Show less

Hindustan Times

an hour ago

• Hindustan Times

Iran Vs Israel: Putin directly calls Netanyahu & Pezeshkian, checkmates Trump

Published on Jun 21, 2025 01:29 AM IST As Iran intensifies its attacks on Israel, Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as a central diplomatic actor, engaging directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and former U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin announced that he has shared Russia's peace proposals with all three leaders, offering a roadmap to de-escalate the conflict. Watch for more