EPA
Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin spread false news, according to the Moscow court, and will be sentenced to 8.5 years in prison. According to the court, he discredited the Russian military with this fake news.
In April, Yashin covered Western media stories about crimes in the Ukrainian city of Bocha in a live YouTube broadcast. Dozens of bodies were found there after the Russian army withdrew. Yashin has openly questioned the official Russian view that photographs of civilian casualties on the streets of this Kiev suburb were manipulated.
“Hysterical Judgment”
In a written statement on social media, Yashin called his sentence a “hysterical verdict” with which the authorities want to scare everyone. “In fact, they only show their weakness. Strong leaders are calm and confident, and only the weak ones try to silence everyone, to banish any disagreement.”
Correspondent Iris de Graaf is at the verdict:
Shortly after the Russian invasion, Moscow passed a law that critics say is being used to silence opponents. Anyone could be prosecuted for spreading false news that would discredit the military.
A colleague of Jasjin’s was sentenced this summer to seven years in prison for calling war a war. Many politicians and journalists have fled the country because of the law.
Earlier this week, Yashin, who has worked in Moscow’s municipal politics, said he would never run for office. “It is better to spend ten years behind bars an honest man than to burn in silence, ashamed of the blood your government has shed.”
Popular on social media
In addition to his political work, Yashin runs a popular Telegram channel. His YouTube channel has over 1.2 million subscribers. There he shares many videos, since February mainly with criticism of Russian actions in Ukraine.
According to Yashin, the name Putin is now associated with the words death and destruction. The Russian president has sent many to a “monster war”, writes on Twitter. “Many will be crippled and driven mad by what they have seen and experienced. For you it is just loss statistics, numbers in the columns, but for many families it is the excruciating pain of losing husbands, fathers and children. Russians are their home. “
