Maxim Kruglov, the deputy leader of Russia's Yabloko party, was convicted on Wednesday of spreading lies about the Russian army and sentenced to seven years in prison over two anti-war social media posts he made in 2022. The 39-year-old former Moscow city legislator was arrested in October and charged under Russia's strict censorship laws, which the Kremlin says are necessary to maintain unity during what it portrays as an existential confrontation with the West.
Kruglov's statement: dissent is now banned
Kruglov pleaded not guilty and told the court that the case demonstrated that the authorities will not tolerate any disagreement with their policies. “In essence, this is a ban on dissent,” he said. He rejected prosecutors' claims that his posts were motivated by political hatred, emphasizing that his entire career has been dedicated to improving life in Russia. “It turns out that political disagreement is tantamount to hatred,” he added.
The conviction comes just over two months before a parliamentary election that Yabloko hopes to contest. Kruglov's posts were made on the Telegram messaging platform in 2022, the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sending tens of thousands of troops across the border.
Yabloko leader condemns verdict
Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov denounced the verdict as unjust and warned that such sentences undermine the democratic process. “If people think that such sentences are acceptable, that such sentences are normal, then they might as well not bother voting or support parties other than Yabloko,” he told reporters outside the court. “Right now, there is a choice: to vote for Yabloko and say ‘no’ to what is happening today, or to vote for any other party and say ‘carry on’.”
The case highlights the increasing crackdown on dissent in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Thousands of people have been prosecuted under laws that criminalize criticism of the military or the spreading of what authorities deem false information about the armed forces.
