UK sanctions Russian judges as Putin critic jailed for 25 years

Vladimir Kara-Murza, who holds Russian and British citizenship, lost an appeal against his 25-year prison sentence for treason and other offences

Britain said it has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Moscow City Court Judges Vitaly Belitsky and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina

Reading Time:2 minutes

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza speaks to his lawyer standing in a glass cage at Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia on Monday. Photo: AP

Published: 6:32am, 1 Aug 2023

Britain on Monday sanctioned Russian judges and prosecutors for their roles in what it called a “politically motivated conviction” of Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, calling for the British dual national’s release.

Kara-Murza, who holds Russian and British citizenship, lost an appeal against his 25-year prison sentence on Monday, the RIA state news agency reported. The 41-year-old was jailed in April for treason and other offences.

“This is desperate and unfounded,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. “Rejecting @vkaramurza’s appeal is unjustifiable. He should be released immediately.”

A police officer handcuffs Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Britain said it has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Moscow City Court Judges Vitaly Belitsky and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina.

Kara-Murza is one of a small number of prominent opposition figures who stayed in Russia and continued to speak out against Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

The British government, which previously sanctioned some others connected to Kara-Murza’s case, said it also sanctioned Basmanny District Court Judge Natalia Nikolaevna Dudar, who it says further extended Kara-Murza’s pre-trial detention.

“Kara-Murza, a dual British national, is being persecuted by the Russian regime for his anti-war stance,” Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said in a statement.