A court in Moscow sentenced vocal Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison on Monday after convicting him of treason and discrediting the Russian army. The political opposition figure has openly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for years and has pressured Western governments to impose sanctions on Russia and Russian individuals for alleged human rights violations. He also used his speeches in the United States and across Europe to accuse Moscow of what it denies regarding the bombing of civilian targets in Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN just hours before his arrest, Kara-Murza stated, "Russia is ruled by a regime of murderers." After hearing the judgment against him in court on Monday, which he received calmly from a glass cage, the Russian opposition member remarked a famous slogan for the opposition: "Russia will be free."
Russian news agencies quoted one of his lawyers, Maria Eismont, saying that Kara-Murza's legal team will appeal the ruling, claiming it was marred by numerous serious legal violations.
