UNITED KINGDOM: As a result of their role in Vladimir Kara-Murza’s politically motivated conviction, the UK government today (31 July 2023) sanctioned six people. As a result of Kara-Murza’s appeal against false accusations being denied in Moscow today, he is facing a 25-year prison sentence.
Kara-Murza, an opposition politician, journalist, and human rights advocate in Russia, has been accused of treason and disseminating false information against Russian military forces.
The chief prosecutor in the case, two judges from the Moscow City Court who found Kara-Murza guilty and jailed him, and an “expert witness” who gave fraudulent testimony to support Kara-Murza’s arrest after an “analysis” of his speech have received sanctions for their involvement in the trial.
James Cleverly, a foreign minister, criticized the Russian state’s depravity and disrespect for human rights, highlighting the denied appeal of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s appeal. Cleverly said that six individuals involved in his case received sanctions, highlighting the UK’s reluctance to tolerate such treatment. Cleverly demanded his immediate and unconditional release from Russia.
Moscow City Court Judges Vitaly Alexsandrovich Belitsky and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina found Kara-Murza guilty of treason, affiliation with an undesirable group, and dissemination of fake news.
They punished him, and Natalia Nikolaevna Dudar prolonged his pretrial detention. Kara-Murza was referred to as an enemy of the state by the trial’s primary prosecutor, Boris Georgievich Loktionov.
Expert witness Danila Yurievich Mikheev testified on behalf of the Russian government, claiming Kara-Murza intentionally circulated false information about the Russian Armed Forces. Judge Elena Lenskaya ordered Kara-Murza held accountable. Kara-Murza’s appeal against pretrial detention was rejected by prosecutor Anna Evgenievna Potychko.
The UK has already imposed sanctions against people involved in Kara-Murza’s case, including a judge, investigators, and FSB officers.
In January 2023, the Minister for Europe met with Kara-Murza’s wife to discuss his case and treatment. The British Embassy and FCDO representatives regularly address Kara-Murza’s case with the Russian Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The UK imposed sanctions on Dmitry Komnov and Sergei Podoprigorov in 2020 for their roles in human rights breaches against Sergei Magnitsky. Podoprigorov later presided over Kara-Murza’s trial.
Elena Lenskaya, a judge who authorized Vladimir Kara-Murza’s arrest, Denis Kolesnikov, and Andrei Zadachin received UK sanctions in April 2023. Alexander Samofal and Konstantin Kudryavtsev, two FSB agents, received sanctions in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Both were part of the operational team that accompanied Kara-Murza before his poisoning.
The UK used the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism to demonstrate Russia’s repression campaign against its citizens. The report’s recommendations are being implemented, and a Special Rapporteur for the United Nations Human Rights Council is being secured. They will conduct national visits, respond to violations, educate the public, and offer technical collaboration guidance.
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