The United Kingdom on Monday refused to convict and sentence the leader of the British-Russian opposition for political motives Vladimir Kara-Murza At trial in Moscow.
Kara Murza, 41, a human rights activist and journalist who holds Russian and British passports and has received wide recognition for his work, including the Vacclef Havel Human Rights Prize, was sentenced Monday to 25 years in a Russian prison.
Russian authorities arrested and imprisoned him in April 2022 and charged him with treason and defaming the army after he criticized the invasion of Ukraine.
The UK also summoned the Russian ambassador to express its concerns about human rights violations and the lack of a fair trial in the Kara-Murza case.
He stressed that he would make it clear that the United Kingdom considers the sentence against Kara-Murza to be in contravention of Russia’s international human rights obligations, including the right to a fair trial.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed his support for Kara Murza in a statement.
He said that “Vladimir Kara-Murza courageously denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine for what it was: a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
The official added, “Russia’s failure to protect basic human rights, including freedom of expression, is troubling. We continue to urge Russia to respect its international obligations, including Vladimir Kara-Murza’s right to adequate medical care.”
The UK also imposed sanctions Sergey Podobrigorov, The judge, who oversaw the trial on charges of past involvement in human rights abuses, will consider further steps to hold accountable those involved in Kara Murza’s detention and ill-treatment.
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