Moscow court sentences journalist Kara-Murza to 25 years in penitentiary

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - The Moscow City Court has sentenced opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has been designated as a foreign agent in Russia, to 25 years in a high-security penitentiary on counts of treason, cooperation with an undesirable organization and dissemination of fake information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces, an Interfax correspondent reported.

"Kara-Murza is sentenced to 25 years in a high-security penitentiary [...] with one year and six months of personal restraint," the judicial panel chaired by Judge Sergei Podoprigorov said in a statement announced on Monday.

The court also imposed a 400,000-ruble fine on Kara-Murza and barred him from journalistic activity for seven years.

Kara-Murza was found guilty of treason, disseminating knowingly false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces, and cooperating with an organization undesirable in Russia.

The defense for Kara-Murza said they would challenge the sentence in an appeals court.

Numerous journalists, the Kara-Murza family and representatives of foreign embassies came to the court to hear the sentence.

The U.S. embassy, whose representatives were at the Moscow City Court, voiced its support for Kara-Murza and called for his immediate release by the Russian authorities once the sentence was pronounced. The U.S. embassy also said that the sentence was unjust.

The trial of Kara-Murza began at the Moscow City Court in March 2023. Hearings were held in camera, as materials in the criminal case are classified.

As reported earlier, the prosecution demanded 25 years in a high-security penitentiary for Kara-Murza during oral arguments. The defense insisted on his acquittal.

Kara-Murza is charged with treason, spreading knowingly false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces, and cooperating with an organization designated as undesirable in Russia.

Kara-Murza, a citizen of Russia and the UK, was arrested in spring 2022 on counts of disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces' actions in Ukraine. In summer 2022, he was indicted on counts of cooperation with the Free Russia Foundation, which is designated as undesirable in Russia. In October 2022, investigators charged him with treason for speeches he made abroad, the defense team said.

Kara-Murza pleaded not guilty and said his prosecution was politically motivated.