In Moscow, the start of the trial for treason of the Russian opponent Kara-Mourza
A Moscow court begins to try, behind closed doors, Monday, March 13, the Russian opponent Vladimir Kara-Mourza, who faces up to twenty years in prison for treason, the latest example of the repression of Kremlin detractors. The Russian authorities have increased the prosecution of critics of Vladimir Putin since the launch of his offensive against Ukraine, and the case of Mr. Kara-Mourza, 41, is one of the most emblematic. He is accused of treason for having criticized the Russian authorities in public interventions abroad, explained his lawyer to the Russian state news agency Tass.
“As a true patriot of Russia, he is accused of high treason for his tireless fight for a Russia without Putin”wrote his wife, Evguénia, on Twitter. “I am always a heartbeat away from you my love, and I will continue to fight for and with you as long as it takes”, she added. The opponent, who has been in pre-trial detention since April 2022, is also the subject of separate criminal proceedings, also liable to heavy prison sentences for having, according to the prosecution, disseminated ” fake news “ on the Russian army and participated in the activities of organizations deemed “undesirables”.
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a longtime opponent of Vladimir Putin. He almost died after being, according to him, poisoned twice, in 2015 and 2017, from assassination attempts which he attributes to the Russian regime. The case targeting him for broadcasting ” fake news “ on the army was opened after his speech in March 2022 in front of American deputies from Arizona, during which he had criticized the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Then, in August 2022, he was accused of working with a “undesirable organization”, an offense punishable by prison, for having organized a conference in support of political prisoners in Russia. Finally, in October, the authorities opened a third case against him for ” treason “, the most serious of the charges. Mr. Kara-Mourza is further classified “foreign agent”a status reminiscent of that of “enemies of the people” used in Soviet times to expose and isolate dissidents.
