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Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced in court to eight-and-a-half years in prison on Friday on charges of spreading “false information” about the Russian army, specifically about the complicity of Russian invasion forces in Ukraine in the Bucha massacre.
The 39-year-old Yashin was tried over a YouTube video released in April in which he openly discussed evidence uncovered by Western journalists of Russian atrocities in Bucha, near Kyiv, casting doubt on the official Moscow version claiming that such reports were fabricated as a “provocation” against Russia.
Since invading Ukraine on February 24, the Kremlin has intensified its clampdown on public dissent, with most prominent opposition figures either in jail or exile. Days after the invasion, legislation was passed providing for jail terms of up to 15 years for disseminating “false information” about the Russian military.
Yashin first rose to prominence during a wave of anti-Kremlin protests in 2011-12 and was elected head of a Moscow district council in 2017. He has been repeatedly blocked from standing for higher office.
In the courtroom, Yashin remained defiant, smiling and even laughing as the sentence was passed. In his final statement to the court this week, Yashin had appealed directly to the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, describing him as “the person responsible for this slaughter” and asking him to “look at the consequences of this monstrous war” and “stop this madness”.
“The words ‘death’ and ‘destruction’ are now firmly associated with your name,” he said. “You have brought terrible misfortune to the Ukrainian people, who will probably never forgive us.”
“With this hysterical verdict, the authorities want to intimidate us all but, in fact, it only shows their weakness. Strong leaders are calm and confident. Only weaklings try to shut everybody up and scorch any kind of dissent,” wrote Yashin on his Telegram channel, and urged his supporters to continue opposing the war in Ukraine.
“We have no reason to be sad - you and I have won this trial, friends [...] We told the truth about war crimes and called for the bloodshed to stop,” he wrote. “Today, I can only repeat what I said on the day of my arrest: I am not afraid, and you must not be afraid. Changes are just around the corner.”
Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yashin’s political ally and long-time personal friend, slammed the verdict as “shameless and lawless” in a post on his Twitter account, which is managed by his team in exile.
“Ilya Yashin, we are all proud of you. Russia will be free and so will you,” Navalny wrote.
2/4 Having known Yashin for so long, I won't even bother writing something like, "Hang in there, Ilya." I know perfectly well that he did everything right and that he will get through this.
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) December 9, 2022
As supporters chanted “Freedom for political prisoners!” outside the courtroom, Yashin's lawyers announced he would appeal.4/4 Ilya @IlyaYashin, we are all proud of you. Russia will be free and so will you.
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) December 9, 2022