Russian politician sentenced to over 8 years for criticism of war in Ukraine
PBS NewsHourSep 09, 2022
The Facts
Russian opposition figure Ilya Yashin — one of the few Kremlin critics to stay in the state after Russia invaded Ukraine — has been jailed for eight and half years for spreading "fake news" about Russia's military and the "special operation."
It is unclear whether Yashin's prison sentence includes the time he has already spent in jail during court hearings. In June this year Yashin was sentenced to 15 days behind bars for being disobedient to police.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Putin has imposed Stalin-like restrictions on speech concerning the Russian military and the invasion of Ukraine. A growing body of evidence shows that Yashin's comments were by no means misinformation — Putin merely wishes to intimidate the people into silence. However, with the reality of Russia's barbaric actions in Ukraine commonly known, truth of Putin's crimes will not sit quietly behind bars.
Pro-Russia narrative
Yashin's false statements are reflective of the Western hatred for Russian institutions. Moscow's military are fighting valiantly to defend marginalized populations within the Russian federation, and Yashin's fabrications undermined their operations. Despite this, he was still treated generously by Russian courts.
