Russian court jails rights lawyer for 12 years on treason charge
Summary
A court in Russia’s Kaliningrad region sentenced 66-year-old rights lawyer Maria Bontsler to 12 years in prison for treason. Prosecutors accused her of giving Ukraine information about security officers and criminal cases in the region.Key Facts
- The court issued Bontsler’s sentence on Thursday.
- Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison term.
- The court also imposed an additional year of restrictions on her activities.
- The FSB detained Bontsler over allegations that she had passed information to Ukraine beginning in 2024.
- The trial was held behind closed doors, according to rights group Slovo Zashchite.
- Slovo Zashchite said Bontsler and her lawyers could not attend the trial, though she was allowed to make a closing statement.
- Her lawyers argued that the information cited by prosecutors was not secret and said she was in poor health in detention.
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