A court in the Russian Federation found Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, guilty of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison. Udaltsov denied the charges, calling them fabricated, and announced a hunger strike.
A Russian court found anti-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Udaltsov, guilty of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison. This was reported by the Associated Press, according to UNN.
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On Thursday, a Russian court found an anti-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin guilty of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, which opposes Putin and is associated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year.
– the publication writes.
The charges against Udaltsov are related to an article he published online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organization. These activists were sentenced earlier this month to terms ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison.
Udaltsov rejected the charges against him, calling them fabricated. On Thursday, he called the verdict "shameful" and announced that he had gone on a hunger strike. According to the court's decision, the activist will serve his sentence in a strict-regime correctional colony.
Udaltsov was a prominent opposition figure during the mass protests of 2011-12 in Russia, sparked by reports of widespread fraud in parliamentary elections. In February 2012, he participated in a meeting that then-President Dmitry Medvedev held with various opposition figures.
– the publication adds.
As the publication notes, Russian authorities have intensified repression against dissent and freedom of speech after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, relentlessly persecuting human rights organizations, independent media, members of public organizations, LGBTQ+ activists, and some religious groups. Hundreds of people have been imprisoned, and thousands more have fled the country.
In December 2023, a Moscow court sentenced Udaltsov to 40 hours of forced labor for violating procedures related to organizing a rally after he was detained on Red Square, where he tried to unfurl a flag depicting Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Udaltsov was previously imprisoned in 2014 and sentenced to 4.5 years on charges related to his role in organizing a 2012 demonstration against Putin that escalated into riots. He was released in 2017.
Recall
Five Russian servicemen were convicted in absentia to 10 years in prison for torturing four civilians in the city of Trostianets during the occupation of the Sumy region. The occupiers beat the detainees, simulated execution, and held them in inhumane conditions.
