As Russia locks away an anti-war politician, his supporters say the regime is scared | CBC Radio

Imprisoning a person who spoke out towards atrocities in Ukraine is an indication the Russian authorities is afraid, says a dissident dwelling within the U.S.

A Russian court docket on Friday discovered opposition politician Ilya Yashin responsible of spreading “fake information” and sentenced him to 8½ years behind bars.

“With that hysterical sentence, the authorities want to scare us all, but it effectively shows their weakness,” Yashin stated in a press release by way of his attorneys after the decide handed the sentence. “Only the weak want to shut everyone’s mouth and eradicate any dissent.”

That’s a sentiment that Evgenia Kara-Murza shares wholeheartedly. She is a Russian citizen now dwelling within the U.S. whereas her husband — opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza — is locked away in a Russian jail awaiting trial for a number of costs, together with excessive treason.

“The regime behaves in such a manner that shows that they are definitely scared of anyone who protests against them, of any dissent within society,” Kara-Murza advised As It Happens visitor host Helen Mann from Washington, D.C.

“If the support in the Russian population were indeed universal, they wouldn’t need to [resort] to these draconian measures.” 

Jailed for ‘telling the reality’

Yashin was tried over a YouTube video launched in April through which he mentioned proof, uncovered by Western journalists, of Russian atrocities within the Ukrainian metropolis of Bucha.

Russian forces, which invaded Ukraine in February, captured Bucha early within the warfare and occupied it for greater than a month. 

When Ukraine recaptured Bucha on the finish of March, they discovered a metropolis in shambles and a whole bunch of our bodies — a lot of them civilians, a few of them kids.

A UN investigation discovered proof of widespread extrajudicial killings and torture. Some our bodies had been present in makeshift detention camps with gunshot wounds and their arms sure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to as what occurred in Bucha and different occupied cities “genocide.” Canada’s international affairs minister stated it amounted to “war crimes.”

Russia, in the meantime, has persistently denied all allegations of warfare crimes in Ukraine, insisting any footage or images of our bodies are “fake news.”

And so-called “fake news” is strictly what landed Yashin behind bars.

After the invasion of Ukraine in February, Russia handed new laws establishing jail phrases of as much as 15 years for disseminating false details about the navy.

But Kara-Murza says Yashin did no such factor.

“He was not lying. He was not definitely spreading any fake news. He was telling the truth to the Russian population,” she stated. “But the truth is not very popular in [President Vladimir] Putin regime.”

Human rights organizations, together with Amnesty International, have denounced Yashin’s conviction.

Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, referred to as it “a travesty of justice and an act of cowardice, directed by a Kremlin that feels threatened by vocal and visible critics like him.”

Yashin: ‘We gained this trial’

In his ultimate assertion to the court docket earlier this week, Yashin appealed on to Putin, describing him as “the person responsible for this slaughter” in Ukraine and asking him to “stop this madness.”

“Our army isn’t being greeted with flowers. They call us punishers and occupiers. The words ‘death’ and ‘destruction’ are now firmly associated with your name,” he stated. “You have brought terrible misfortune to the Ukrainian people, who will probably never forgive us.”

After the sentence was handed down, he shared a ultimate message together with his supporters on the messaging platform Telegram, urging them to proceed opposing the warfare in Ukraine.

“We also have no reason to be sad, because we won this trial, friends,” he wrote. “We spoke the truth about war crimes and called for an end to the bloodshed.”

Kara-Murza praised Yashin for talking the reality and never backing down — very similar to her husband, who she referred to as “a fighter … a warrior and a true Russian patriot.”

“I could not be prouder of my husband. I couldn’t have more admiration for him,” she stated. “I am sure that he’s showing a great example to our kids to always face bullies with courage and to defend their values, their principles, no matter what, no matter the risks.”

As a journalist, activist and filmmaker, Vladimir Kara-Murza was recognized for talking out towards the regime. The final time Evgenia noticed him was in April, earlier than he was arrested on a cost of disobeying police. 

Since then, he has remained in pre-trial detention as officers add extra costs to his roster, together with spreading false details about the navy and excessive treason. The latter is said to speeches he made to U.S. politicians denouncing the invasion of Ukraine.

“He did not say one untrue word,” Kara-Murza stated of her husband.

In the meantime, she continues to talk out towards the regime and the warfare, and encourages different Russians to do the identical.

“As a mother, as the wife of a political prisoner, as a Russian citizen, I am devastated by what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine … and so I believe it is my duty to do everything I can to bring forward the downfall of this regime,” she stated.

“I believe it is my duty to continue Vladimir’s work, to continue the work of my soulmate, and I will do it for as long as it takes me.”