Vladimir Putin: UK dual citizen jailed for 25 years for criticising Russian president and Ukraine invasion

The UK has demanded the release of a British-Russian opposition leader who criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after he was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Moscow court.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly paid tribute to Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr for “bravely” denouncing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin critic, who has twice survived poisonings, was convicted on charges of treason and denigrating the Russian military in what Cleverly denounced as a show trial.

The Telegraph reports Kara-Murza, a 41-year-old father of three and former journalist who holds Russian and British passports, denied the charges. It is believed to be the harshest sentence of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin was summoned to the UK Foreign Office for a dressing down over Russia’s human rights obligations, including the right to a fair trial. In a statement, Mr Cleverly said: “Vladimir Kara-Murza bravely denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for what it was – a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

“Russia’s lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming," he said. "We continue to urge Russia to adhere to its international obligations, including Vladimir Kara-Murza’s entitlement to proper healthcare."

Kelin continued: “I pay tribute to Mr Kara-Murza and his family, including his wife Evgenia and her unwavering commitment to raising her husband’s cause on the international stage. The UK will continue to support them and to call for Mr Kara-Murza’s immediate release.”

The judge who presided over the trial, Sergei Podoprigorov, has already been sanctioned by Britain for what it called previous involvement in human rights violations. The Foreign Office was considering taking further action to hold to account individuals involved in Mr Kara-Murza’s detention and treatment.

In his final statement last week, the dual-national said he remains proud of standing up to the Russian President’s “dictatorship” and his decision to send troops into Ukraine.

“I know that the day will come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear,” he said. “And then our society will open its eyes and shudder when it realises what terrible crimes were committed in its name.”

The journalist was an associate of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was killed near the Kremlin in 2015. He has survived poisonings, in 2015 and 2017, that he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied responsibility.