Russian antiwar politician Ilya Yashin sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced Friday to 8 1/2 years in prison after criticizing Russian Presdient Vladimir Putin and the war on Ukraine on his YouTube channel.

A Russian court found him guilty of "spreading false information" about Russian atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha committed in February and March. Yashin was prosecuted under a law passed after Russia invaded Ukraine

Yashin posted a message on Telegram reacting to his sentence.

"So, the court sentenced me to 8 years and 6 months in prison," he wrote. "Well, the authors of the verdict are optimistic about Putin's prospects. In my opinion, way too optimistic."

Yashin added that with the "hysterical verdict," the Russian government wants to intimidate all Russians, but he said in fact it demonstrates weakness.

"Only weaklings seek to shut everyone up, burn out any dissent," Yashin wrote in the Telegram post. "So today it only remains for me to repeat what was said on the day of my arrest: I am not afraid, and you are not afraid."

Yashin's conviction and sentence is another example of Russian suppression of dissent, and media coverage criticizing the war on Ukraine.

In a courtroom speech, Yashin said, "It physically pains me to think how many people have been killed in this war, how many lives have been ruined, and how many families have lost their homes. You cannot be indifferent. And I swear I do not regret anything."

He said it's better to spend 10 years behind bars as an honest man than "quietly burn with shame over the blood spilled by your government."

Russian antiwar protests have led to thousands of arrests. Thousands of Russians have also fled the country rather than be drafted to fight in Ukraine.