Prosecutors Request 12-Year Sentence for Lev Shlosberg

Prosecutors in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov have asked a court to sentence veteran opposition figure Lev Shlosberg to 12 years and one month in prison. The Yabloko party said on Friday that the request involves charges of discrediting the Russian military and spreading false information about it.

According to the independent outlet Mediazona, the proposed punishment combines maximum sentences available under wartime censorship legislation with an earlier conviction. In November 2025, Shlosberg was ordered to complete 420 hours of community service for breaching Russia’s "foreign agent" law. Shlosberg, a senior member of Yabloko, entered a plea of not guilty and accused prosecutors of discrediting Russian law itself.

The false-information charge is connected to a Telegram post from February 25, 2022, in which Shlosberg shared material from the now-defunct radio station Ekho Moskvy. The post contained a British tabloid front page depicting President Vladimir Putin next to a bloodied woman. Shlosberg argued that the post was published before Russia introduced wartime censorship rules.

The separate discrediting charge arises from a public debate in January 2025, during which he was said to have called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Shlosberg denied circulating a video of the debate online and said the statements cited by prosecutors were actually made by his debate opponent.

Independent news outlets have reported procedural irregularities in the case. Novaya Gazeta said the Pskov City Court judge refused to question Shlosberg directly and instead read transcripts from earlier hearings. After Shlosberg’s three defense lawyers missed hearings because of illness and scheduling conflicts, the judge assigned a state-appointed attorney and rejected motions to dismiss that representation.

The sentencing request came days after Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko’s federal candidate list from the upcoming State Duma elections. An appeal is scheduled for Monday. No date has been announced for a verdict.