Yabloko Deputy Chairman Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony in Russia
The Pskov City Court in Russia sentenced Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, to 11 years and 1 month in a penal colony. The 63-year-old politician was found guilty of spreading so-called “fake news” about the Russian army and repeatedly “discrediting” the military.
Russian law enforcement linked the case against Shlosberg to two incidents. The first concerns a post on Telegram, where the politician shared a publication by “Eha Moskvy” featuring the front page of the British newspaper *Daily Mirror*. The image showed a bloodied woman and Vladimir Putin, with the caption reading, “Her blood… His hands.” It was this repost that served as the basis for the charge of spreading “fake news” about the army.
The second incident involved Shlosberg’s remarks during a debate with historian Yuri Pivovarov. During the discussion, the politician called for an immediate end to the war. Russian law enforcement authorities interpreted these statements as a repeat “discrediting” of the army.
The court found Shlosberg guilty under Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and subparagraph “e” of Part 2 of Article 207.3. He was sentenced to 11 years and 1 month in a general-regime penal colony. The verdict was announced on August 17 by Judge Viktoria Malyamova of the Pskov City Court. The politician himself did not admit guilt. Previously, he had publicly declared his anti-war stance and continued to work in Russia despite pressure from the authorities.
Schlosberg had been in custody for over half a year
The criminal prosecution of Shlosberg has been ongoing for several years. From June 2025, the politician was under house arrest, and in December he was transferred to Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 in Pskov. He remained in custody until the verdict was handed down. The Russian authorities also added Schlossberg to the registry of so-called “foreign agents.” Subsequently, he was also added to the list of individuals whom Rosfinmonitoring designates as “terrorists and extremists.” Prior to the criminal case, the politician had already been fined several times under administrative charges of “discrediting” the army.
Schlosberg was one of the few prominent Russian politicians who did not leave the country after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and continued to speak out openly against the war.
“Yabloko” Promises to Appeal the Verdict
The Yabloko party has already stated that it does not agree with the prosecution of its deputy chairman. The party said it would seek to halt the criminal prosecution of Shlosberg by all legal means. The verdict against the politician was handed down amid increasing pressure from Russian authorities on opposition forces. Earlier, the Russian Supreme Court also ruled to remove Yabloko’s federal list from the election. The party stated that it intends to appeal this decision.
For Shlosberg, this latest verdict represents the harshest punishment yet for his public anti-war stance. The court effectively equated reposting material and participating in political debates with criminal offenses, according to Russian media reports.
As of August 14, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office had sought a sentence of 12 years and one month in prison for Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party. The politician is accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian army and spreading so-called “military fakes.”
