Russia Jails Anti-War Party Leader for 11 Years

Shlosberg used his closing statement to attack the war itself. "The lives of countless thousands of people have been cut short during this time. Sooner or later, the precise and complete death toll — with names included — will be made public, and the entire nation will shudder at this list of martyrs," he said, according to a transcript published by the independent outlet Mediazona.

"Today, cemeteries in our country, including military ones, are growing far more rapidly than maternity wards, kindergartens, and schools," he said.

"A single person is imprisoned, yet fear seeps into the hearts of millions," he added.

Mediazona reported that the presiding judge repeatedly interrupted him and told him to stick to the facts of the case. Shlosberg insisted on his right to keep speaking.

The Kremlin's position is unchanged: Moscow says its military action addresses security threats from NATO and Ukraine and defends the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western partners reject that as a fabricated pretext for Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.