Another top opposition figure in Russia handed prison term
Source: Associated Press
Another top opposition figure in Russia handed prison term
July 15, 2022
A Russian court on Friday sentenced a top opposition figure to a years-long prison term, the latest move in the Kremlin’s multipronged crackdown on opposition activists, independent media and rights groups.
Andrei Pivovarov, former head of the Open Russia group, was sentenced to four years in prison by a court in the southern city of Krasnodar. Pivovarov was charged with “directing an undesirable organization,” a criminal offense under a 2015 law. He has maintained his innocence and has insisted that the charges against him were brought because of his plans to run for parliament in September 2021.
Pivovarov’s jailing and prosecution came as part of a sweeping effort by President Vladimir Putin’s government to stifle any and all dissent in Russia. It kicked off with the arrest and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in January 2021. Since then, dozens of opposition activists have faced prosecution and pressure from the authorities. Many have left Russia, while others have been imprisoned.
The clampdown intensified after Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, with the remaining Kremlin critics facing charges for publicly denouncing the war. Earlier this week, a court in Moscow remanded another top opposition figure, Ilya Yashin, in custody pending investigation and trial on the charges of spreading false information about the Russian military. Yashin was one of the few prominent opposition politicians who haven’t left Russia.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-sergei-skripal-c573063e95575c198e67479f037648d3
FILE - Andrei Pivovarov, head of the Open Russia movement, gestures during a court session in Krasnodar, Russia, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Andrei Pivovarov, former head of the Open Russia group, was sentenced to four years in prison for "directing an undesirable organization," a criminal offense under a 2015 law. He has maintained his innocence and has insisted that the charges against him were brought because of his plans to run for parliament in September 2021. (AP Photo, File)