Alexander Skobov, a lifelong dissident and anti-war activist, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a St. Petersburg military court for his social media support of Ukraine's 2022 Crimea Bridge strike. At 67 years old and with deteriorating health, his sentence amounts to life imprisonment. The case reflects heightened repression in Russia, surpassing even the Soviet era. Skobov's defiant final statement condemned the Russian regime for its war in Ukraine and political terror. He has been in detention since April 2024, continuing to advocate even from behind bars.
Today I will be asked whether I plead guilty. Well, I am the one making the accusation here! I accuse the stinking corpse of a regime and the ruling Putin clique of preparing, unleashing, and waging an aggressive war, of committing war crimes in Ukraine, of political terror in Russia, and of the moral corruption of my people.
Skobov's sentence on Friday effectively amounts to life imprisonment, given his age and frail health, including diabetes, hepatitis C, bronchial asthma, and glaucoma.
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