Moscow’s City Court has upheld the verdict in the criminal case on “fake news” about the Russian army against Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin, Mediazona reports.
Thus, Yashin is to continue serving his sentence — 8.5 years in a general regime penal colony. Yashin took part in the court hearing via video link from a pre-trial detention centre. The court denied his wish to appear at the court hearing in person for the appeal and re-examination of the evidence.
“The feeling of responsibility for my country gives me strength. The pendulum of history is inexorable, and I am conscious of the fact that once I’m finally free I will be one of the people who will have to clean up all of this bloody mess,” the politician said in a speech.
At the beginning of December 2022, a Moscow district court sentenced Yashin to 8.5 years behind bars over charges of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army. The criminal case was launched after the politician held a live stream where he shared information about the murders in Bucha.
