Russian court rejects appeal of dissident's 25-year sentence; Britain responds with sanctions

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Britain has unleashed punitive measures targeting half a dozen Russians involved in the trial of Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's harshest critics, after the appeal of his 25-year sentence was rejected on Monday.

Kara-Murza, a dual British-Russian citizen, was sentenced to a quarter century behind bars mid-April on charges of knowingly disseminating false information about the Russian military over a speech he gave Arizona lawmakers in March 2022, and for executing activities of a foreign or international organization declared undesirable by Russia over holding an October 2021 conference with funding from the Free Russia Foundation NGO.

Kara-Murza appealed his sentence, which was rejected by a Russian court on Monday, court officials told the state-run TASS news agency, which Britain immediately responded to by sanctioning three judges, two prosecutors and a so-called expert witness for their involvement in Kara-Murza's "politically motivated conviction."

"The rejection of Vladimir Kara-Murza's appeal following his sentencing on bogus charges highlights the depravity of the Russian regime, and their complete disregard for human rights and freedom of expression," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

"We will continue to support Mr. Kara-Murza and his family, who have worked tirelessly to try and secure his release. I call on Russia to release him immediately and unconditionally."

Britain has repeatedly used its sanctioning powers to punish those involved in persecuting Kara-Murza and other political prisoners. Last year, Oleg Mikhailovich Sviridenko, Russia's deputy minister of justice and overseer of the prosecution of criminal cases, including that of Kara-Murza, was hit with sanctions.

After Kara-Murza was sentenced, Britain blacklisted five Russians, including a pair of Federal Security Service agents linked to the two attempts made to assassinate the dissident with poisons in 2015 and 2017 and a judge who approved his arrest.

The European Union in early June also hit nine Russians, including Sviridenko, with sanctions for their involvement in Kara-Murza's April sentencing.

The Biden administration has also used its sanctioning powers to hit those involved in the imprisonment of the dissident.

Sanctions generally freeze all assets and property under the name of the blacklisted individual that are within the borders of the designating country and include travel bans.

Kara-Murza was arrested by Russia on April 11 of last year, less than two months after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"This is desperate and unfounded," Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a brief statement published on social media media Monday.

"Rejecting @vkaramurza's appeal is unjustifiable. He should be released immediately."

Following the rejection of his appeal, Kara-Murza lambasted Putin for persecuting not only him but others who speak the truth about the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

"To those who organized my and other show trials of opponents of the war; by trying to present opponents of the authorities as 'traitors to the Motherland'; for those who are so nostalgic for the Soviet system, I would advise you to remember how it ended," he said.

"All systems based on lies and violence end the same way."

Days prior to the court rejecting Kara-Murza's appeal, Mariana Katzarova, the United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia, called for the dissident's immediate release over concerns about his deteriorating health.

"I urge a transparent and impartial review of Vladimir Kara-Murza's case in accordance with international human rights standards," Katzarova said in a statement on Friday. "His immediate and unconditional release from detention must be considered without delay."