As Ukraine’s LGBTQ soldiers fight on the front line, acceptance grows in the conservative country
NBCNov 25, 2022
The Facts
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic who has previously survived two suspected poisoning attempts, was on Monday sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment after publicly condemning Moscow's war in Ukraine. He was detained last year and charged with treason, spreading fake news about the Russian army, and facilitating activities of an undesirable organization before being found guilty at a trial that concluded last week.
In his final statements to the court, Kara-Murza remained defiant and stood by his criticisms of the Kremlin, saying: "I subscribe to every word that I have said. Not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it."
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
As demonstrated by his trial, Vladimir Kara-Murza clearly violated Russian laws by spreading false information both in Russia and abroad — his sentence is justified and is in-line with the crimes he committed.
Pro-establishment narrative
The prison sentence imposed on Vladimir Kara-Murza is a very troubling demonstration of Russia's growing intolerance of dissent. This is clearly a politically motivated case and is reminiscent of the show trials that occurred under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Russia needs to respect international laws on freedom of expression and unconditionally release Kara-Murza.
