Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, accused of treason and of discrediting the Russian army, stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, April 17, 2023. Moscow City Court
Kara-Murza, 41, a dual citizen of Russia and UK, has spent years speaking out against President Vladimir Putin and lobbied Western governments to impose sanctions on Russia and individual Russians for human rights violations.
Kara-Murza was convicted of high treason, cooperating with an ‘undesirable’ organization, and spreading ‘disinformation’ about the Russian armed forces.
In his final speech to the court last week, Kara-Murza compared his trial, which was held behind closed doors, to Josef Stalin's show trials in the 1930s. He declined to ask the court to acquit him, saying he was proud of everything he had said.
His lawyers have announced that they intend to appeal the verdict, alleging that “serious procedural violations” were committed.
A member of Kara-Murza’s defense team, Vadim Prokhorov, previously noted that the case is the first in Russia to apply new laws on treason. According to the revised legislation, treason in Russia now includes assistance to states or organizations that engage in activities against the security of Russia, in addition to the transfer of secret information to third countries.