Russian court upholds seven-year prison sentence for Yabloko deputy leader
A Moscow court, sitting behind closed doors, has rejected an appeal and upheld a seven-year prison sentence handed to Maxim Kruglov, deputy leader of the opposition party Yabloko.
A closed-door hearing has taken place in Moscow to review an appeal filed by Maxim Kruglov, deputy leader of Yabloko, a party in opposition to the Kremlin. The court decided to reject the appeal and leave the earlier verdict unchanged, meaning Kruglov's seven-year prison sentence remains in force.
The proceedings were held without public or press access, underscoring the sensitivity of the case and the authorities' apparent effort to limit public attention to it. With the appeal dismissed, the original ruling now becomes final, and Kruglov will be required to serve the full term handed down by the court.
Yabloko is one of the few officially registered opposition parties still operating in Russia, and it has repeatedly criticized Kremlin policy over the years. In recent years, Russian authorities have intensified pressure on opposition figures, frequently relying on the judicial system to prosecute political opponents.
The source report did not specify the exact charges that led to Kruglov's conviction.
