Putin Critic Jailed in Russia for 25 Years for Treason

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, on April 17, 2023. Moscow City Court/Handout via Reuters

An outspoken Putin critic was sentenced to 25 years in a penal colony by a Moscow court on Monday, after being found guilty of treason and other offenses he denies committing. It is the harshest sentence of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, 41, a father of three, is an opposition politician who holds Russian and British passports. He has criticized for years President Vladimir Putin and has called on Western governments to impose sanctions on Russian and Russian individuals for purported human rights violations.