Vladimir Kara-Murza: Russian opposition leader jailed for 25 years after treason conviction
One of Vladimir Putin’s biggest critics has been jailed in Russia for 25 years after being found guilty of treason.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, 41, a father of three and former journalist who holds Russian and British passports, spent years as a politician opposing the Russian president.
He was accused of treason and discrediting the military by prosecutors after he criticised the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
His 25-year sentence, which matches the sentence requested by prosecutors, is the harshest of its kind since Russia’s invasion.
Mr Kara-Murza, who stood by his words throughout his trial, previously criticised his prosecution and compared it to one of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s show trials in the 1930s.
Ukraine war latest – Kremlin critic jailed
Pic: Moscow City Court/Reuters
He declined to ask the court to acquit him and said: “Criminals are supposed to repent of what they have done. I,
on the other hand, am in prison for my political views.”
“I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will dissipate,” he said during his trial.
‘Politically motivated’
Mr Kara-Murza’s sentencing attracted criticism from the British government, which described the conviction as “politically-motivated”.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it had summoned the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Kelin, and that it will “make clear that the UK considers Mr Kara-Murza’s conviction to be contrary to Russia’s international obligations on human rights, including the right to a fair trial”.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “Vladimir Kara-Murza bravely denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for what it was – a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly criticised the sentencing and said the UK would continue to call for Mr Kara-Murza’s release
“Russia’s lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming.
“We continue to urge Russia to adhere to its international obligations including Vladimir Kara-Murza’s entitlement to proper healthcare.
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“I pay tribute to Mr Kara-Murza and his family, including his wife Evgenia and her unwavering commitment to raising her husband’s cause on the international stage.
“The UK will continue to support them and to call for Mr Kara-Murza’s immediate release.”
‘Regime of murderers’
Under censorship laws, introduced in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “discrediting” the army can currently be punished by up to five years in prison.
Spreading information deemed deliberately false about the Russian military can attract a 15-year jail sentence.
Mr Kara-Murza had used speeches in the United States and across Europe to accuse Moscow of bombing civilian targets in Ukraine – which the Kremlin has denied.
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He also claimed Russia was being run by a “regime of murderers” in a CNN interview, broadcast hours before his arrest.
The charges against Mr Kara-Murza relate to a speech given to the Arizona House of Representatives in March, in which he denounced Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
He claimed soldiers were “dropping cluster bombs on residential areas, mothers’ homes, hospitals, and schools”.
Mr Kara-Murza was declared a “foreign agent” and accused of spreading false information in the aftermath of the speech.
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Investigators added a treason charge, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in Russia, while he was in custody over public speeches he had made in Lisbon, Helsinki and Washington.
Mr Kara-Murza, who was once deputy leader of the opposition group People’s Freedom Party, is the current vice chairman of the pro-democracy and human rights group Open Russia.
He was an ally of the late Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead near the Kremlin in 2015.
Mr Kara-Murza and his supporters say he has twice survived being poisoned in the past – once in 2015 and again in 2017 – though Russian authorities have denied any involvement.
Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.
Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.
Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.
“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.
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USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.
The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.
Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.
USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.
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Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.
But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.
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In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.
The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.
Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.
The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.
Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.
An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.
The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.
Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters
The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.
Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.
Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.
Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.
Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.
The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.
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The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.
Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.
Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.
The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.
On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”
At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with Donald Trump during a previous meeting. Pic: Reuters
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.
The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.
She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.
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The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.
An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.
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