Shlosberg Faces New Charges for Alleged Disinformation Against Russian Military

Authorities in Pskov, a city in the northwest, have announced a new criminal charge against opposition politician Lev Shlosberg, accusing him of disseminating “false information” regarding the Russian military, according to the liberal Yabloko party on Friday.

This is the third charge brought against Shlosberg this year and was made just three days prior to his expected release from house arrest, which he has been subjected to since June.

Shlosberg is currently facing trial for allegedly “discrediting” the Russian military, an accusation that could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Last month, he received a sentence of 420 hours of community service for a separate violation of Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation.

Yabloko contended that the latest charge, termed as the “army fakes” case, originates from a post he made on Telegram in February 2022. They indicated that he was officially informed of this charge on Thursday.

Shlosberg has refuted the allegations against him.

On Friday, a judge was set to decide whether he would remain under house arrest, be placed in pretrial detention, or be released while awaiting trial.

A prominent member of Yabloko, Shlosberg has stayed in Russia despite his opposition to the war. The 62-year-old has previously been fined on two occasions for “discrediting” the military.

In June 2023, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated him as a “foreign agent.”

In October, a judge imposed restrictions on Shlosberg, prohibiting his use of the internet and phone, as well as any contact with individuals outside his household for a duration of four months.

Yabloko is among the few legal opposition parties in Russia, consistently voicing its opposition to the war in Ukraine and advocating for a ceasefire, although it has faced challenges due to increasing censorship and diminishing visibility amid wartime restrictions.