Russian Court Changes Sentence For Political Analyst From Fine To Lengthy Prison Term

A Russian court of appeals on February 13 replaced the sentence handed to sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, who was convicted of making online calls to justify terrorism, from a 600,000 ruble ($6,570) fine to a five-year prison term. The charge stemmed from Kagarlitsky's online comments in October 2022 on reports about an attack on the Kerch bridge built by Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The 65-year-old Kagarlitsky told RFE/RL that he considers the charge against him politically motivated. The appeals court made the ruling after prosecutors appealed the original sentence. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.