On July 5, 2023, it was reported that opposition politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza had been moved from the IK-6 colony in Omsk to regional hospital No. 11 at the Federal Penitentiary Service in Omsk Oblast. Despite lawyers’ attempts to see him, he was not allowed any visitors as reported by OVD-Info. His wife, Evgenia Kara-Murza, mentioned that he suffers from polyneuropathy, a condition resulting from two severe poisonings, which is on the list of diseases exempting inmates from serving their sentence.
On April 17, 2023, Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in a maximum security penal colony by the Moscow City Court. The prosecutor had requested this punishment, and the sentence was given by Judge Sergei Podoprigorov. The trial was held in closed doors, classifying it as “secret”. Kara-Murza’s charges included spreading false information about the Russian army, being involved with an undesirable organization, and treason.
In his final court statement, Kara-Murza mentioned that he was charged with treason for collaborating with a NATO state to undermine Russia’s national security and allegedly received $30,000 monthly for his actions. He also labeled as a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities has been in custody since April 2022 after criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine while in the US. In July 2022, he was further charged for involvement in activities of an undesirable organization.
Kara-Murza is known for his advocacy work particularly his efforts in passing the Magnitsky Act in the US which targets Russian officials responsible for human rights violations. He held leadership positions in various organizations focused on promoting freedom and democracy such as the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, Free Russia Foundation and Open Russia Foundation.