Latvia banned the entry of ten Russian citizens involved in the case of politician Vladimir Kara-Murza. Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevich wrote about this on his Twitter, a message about the sanctions was also published on the website of the Latvian department.
Today, Judge of the Moscow City Court Sergei Podoprigorov sentenced Kara-Murza to 25 years in a strict regime colony on charges of military «fakes», participation in the activities of an «undesirable» organization and treason due to speeches in the House of Representatives of the US state Arizona, in Lisbon, Oslo and Washington, as well as participation in a round table at the Sakharov Center.
The head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry condemned the «unfair and harsh sentence» to the oppositionist and called on the EU to impose sanctions against those involved in this decision. The ministry's website describes the closed trial of Kara-Murza as «absurd and inhumane.»
“The verdict given to the politician can be regarded as a direct attack on his political activities and public expression of views, <…> especially criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine,» the ministry said. At the same time, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Edgars Rinkevics did not announce the names of the people who are now banned from entering Latvia.
British Ambassador Deborah Bronner came to Kara-Murza's verdict and said she was «shocked by what happened.» According to her, the politician was sentenced «for a courageous speech against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.» The British Embassy called for his release. US Ambassador Lynn Tracy also said she intends to continue calling for Kara-Murza's release: «Criminal prosecution of regime critics is a symbol of weakness, not strength.»
The case of Vladimir Kara‑Murza. Sentence
Canadian Ambassador Alison LeClair noted that «30 years ago a free and democratic Russia struggled to come into being, today's verdict is a sad testament to the dark turn that struggle has taken.» She added that “free-thinking people in this country and around the world recognize Kara-Murza as a man of honor and conscience, <…> ally of the people in their struggle for a free and democratic Russia.
In March, the United States, in accordance with «the Magnitsky act» included in the sanctions list several people who, according to the US Treasury, are involved in the violation of the rights of Kara-Murza. The judge of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow, Elena Lenskaya, the agency pointed out, sent Kara-Murza to a pre-trial detention center; Andrey Zadachin, an investigator for particularly important cases, opened a criminal case against the politician, and Danila Mikheev, director of the Independent Expert Center, acted as an expert witness.
At the same time, Moscow City Court judge Sergei Podoprigorov, who In 2018, he asked the US Treasury to remove him from the Magnitsky list, lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said. In court, Prokhorov reported a conflict of interest and demanded the removal of the judge, since Kara-Murza was among the politicians who prepared the Magnitsky Act. Podoprigorov refused the defense's petition.