By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Leaders across the world have criticised Moscow for jailing President Vladimir Putin’s critic, Kara-Murza for 25 years on treason and other charges, after he spoke against the Ukraine offensive.
Supporters after the sentence on Monday, denounced the verdict which is the longest jail term against an opposition figure in recent years, calling for his release.
“Today’s verdict is a sad testament to the dark turn this struggle (for democracy) has come to,” said Canadian ambassador Alison LeClaire.
Britain and the UN have also called for Kara-Murza’s immediate release.
“Kara-Murza was tried on charges that appear related to the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of opinion, expression, and association,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.
The European Union also condemned the pronouncement as “outrageously harsh court decision” while Germany deplored “the shocking level” of repression.
Kara-Murza was detained in April last year on charges of spreading what the authorities consider false information about the Russian army over an address to members of the lower house of the Arizona legislature last March.
Moscow court found the 41-year-old guilty of treason, of spreading “false” information about the Russian army and of links to an “undesirable organisation” after a closed-door trial.
In August 2022, Kara-Murza was accused of being affiliated with an “undesirable organisation” for participating in a conference in support of political prisoners.
Kara-Murza appeared in a cage for defendants, wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt and grey blazer, an AFP journlaist said.
“A quarter of a century is an ‘A+’ for your courage, consistency and honesty in your year-long work. I am infinitely proud of you, my love, and I’m always by your side,” his wife Evgenia Kara-Murza wrote on Twitter.
“This is a terrible verdict, but it is a very high testament to Vladimir’s work,” his lawyer Maria Eismont said, adding that her client will appeal and “believes he has done sincere good for Russia”.
