Latvia has banned the entry of ten Russian citizens involved in the case against Kara-Murza

Latvia has banned the entry of ten Russian citizens involved in the case of politician Vladimir Kara-Murza. Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich wrote about this on his Twitter, and 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 maximum security colony in cases 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 of 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” of the oppositionist and called on the EU to impose sanctions against those involved in this decision. The ministry's website describes Kara-Murza's closed trial as "absurd and inhumane."

“The sentence imposed on 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 department said. At the same time, the Latvian Foreign Ministry and Edgars Rinkevich did not announce the names of people who are now prohibited from entering Latvia.

British Ambassador Deborah Bronner attended Kara-Murza’s sentencing and said she was “shocked by what happened.” According to her, the politician was sentenced “for his courageous speech against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” The British Embassy has called for his release. US Ambassador Lynn Tracy also said she intends to continue calling for Kara-Murza's release: "Criminal prosecution of critics of the regime is a symbol of weakness, not strength."

Canadian Ambassador Alison LeClair noted that “30 years ago, a free and democratic Russia struggled to emerge, today’s verdict is sad evidence of 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, <…> an ally of the people in their struggle for a free and democratic Russia.”

In March, the United States, in accordance with the Magnitsky Act, added to the sanctions list several people who, according to the US Treasury, were involved in the violation of Kara-Murza’s rights. Judge Elena Lenskaya of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow, the department indicated, sent Kara-Murza to a pre-trial detention center; Investigator for particularly important cases Andrei Zadachin opened a criminal case against the politician, and the director of the Independent Expert Center Danila Mikheev acted as an expert witness.

At the same time, Moscow City Court judge Sergei Podoprigorov, who is considering the oppositionist’s case, in 2018 asked the US Treasury to exclude him from the “Magnitsky list,” said lawyer Vadim Prokhorov. In court, Prokhorov reported a conflict of interest and demanded the judge’s recusal, since Kara-Murza was among the politicians who prepared the Magnitsky Act. Podoprigorov denied the defense's request.