Russian court sentences Yabloko deputy chairman Shlosberg to 11 years 1 month in prison
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Pskov City Court judge Viktoria Malyamova sentences Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, to 11 years and 1 month in prison for spreading false information about the Russian army and repeated discrediting of the armed forces. Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov and founder Grigory Yavlinsky say the ruling will be appealed.
Key Facts
- Prosecutor Anna Goryacheva had asked for a 12-year, 1-month sentence before Judge Viktoria Malyamova imposed 11 years and 1 month.
- The verdict took into account a November 2025 sentence of 420 hours of compulsory labour for Shlosberg on charges of failing to fulfil foreign agent obligations.
- Shlosberg said he reposted the Daily Mirror cover on 25 February 2022, eight days before the article on army fakes was added to Russia's Criminal Code.
- He also argued the repeated discrediting charge was based on two out-of-context phrases spoken by historian Yuri Pivovarov in a video posted to an Odnoklassniki page he did not create.
- Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov and founder Grigory Yavlinsky said they would appeal the court's decision.
The Verdict
Pskov City Court judge Viktoria Malyamova sentenced Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, to 11 years and 1 month in prison for spreading false information about the Russian army and repeated discrediting of the armed forces. Prosecutor Anna Goryacheva had requested 12 years and 1 month on the same charges. The sentence was issued with account taken of a previous punishment from November 2025, when Shlosberg was given 420 hours of compulsory labour for failing to fulfil foreign agent obligations. The first charge stemmed from a repost of the cover of the Daily Mirror in a Telegram channel in February 2022, and the second from debates with historian Yuri Pivovarov in which Shlosberg argued for a rapid end to the war in Ukraine.
Shlosberg's Defence
Shlosberg denied guilt and said the repeated discrediting charge relied on two phrases spoken by Pivovarov that were taken out of context. He pointed out that the video was posted on an Odnoklassniki page under the name 'Lev Shlosberg' that he did not create and on which he did not publish the debate recording. On the false information charge, Shlosberg said he reposted the Daily Mirror cover on 25 February 2022, eight days before the relevant article was introduced into Russia's Criminal Code. He added that the cover contained no reference to Russia or the Russian Armed Forces.
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Russian court sentences Yabloko deputy chairman Shlosberg to 11 years 1 month in prison
