political opponent Ilia Yachine sentenced to eight and a half years in prison

Black week for the opposition and the media in Russia. After the conviction of opponent Vladimir Kara-Mourza and the continued detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a Russian appeal court confirmed on Wednesday April 19 a sentence of eight and a half years in prison imposed on the opponent Ilia Iachine. The latter is accused of having criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in full aggravation of repression in Russia.

The conviction handed down at first instance in December “remain unchanged”, ruled the judge, according to an AFP correspondent in court. Ilia Iachine, 39, was then found guilty of having disseminated “false information” about the Russian army. “The real reasons for my arrest are obviously political. I am an opponent, a deputy [municipal] independent, a critic of President Putin and an opponent of the war in Ukraine”he said during his arrest at the end of June.

This appeal hearing was an opportunity for him to deliver a speech against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime. “The sentence imposed on me is incredible: eight and a half years in prison for a 20-minute speech on the internet”choked the one who had dared to speak of the war crimes committed in Boutcha. “Putin is a war criminal, and it is not impossible that I will give him my place in prison”he also launched to the audience, quoted by the information site Meduza (in Russian).