Press Release, 20.04.2026

Photo: Lev Shlosberg / Photo by Pskov Yabloko

On 17 April, the fifth hearing of the appeal lodged by Yabloko Deputy Chair Lev Shlosberg against his conviction in the criminal case  concerning “foreign agent labels” took place at the Pskov City Court. The parties moved to closing arguments at this hearing.

Yabloko Chair Nikolai Rybakov travelled to the court to show his support for Lev Shlosberg, as did colleagues from Novgorod Yabloko — party Deputy Chair Anna Cherepanova, Deputy Chair of Novgorod Yabloko Yelena Ivanova, and member of the regional bureau of the Novgorod branch Ksenia Cherepanova. Also present were members of the Pskov Yabloko team, Pskov Regional Legislative Assembly deputy Artur Gaiduk, and Yabloko deputy on Pskov City Duma Tatyana Pasman.

Photo: Yabloko Chair Nikolai Rybakov and colleagues from the Novgorod and Pskov regional branches / Photo by Pskov Yabloko

Before the defence counsel spoke, Lev Shlosberg took the floor. He drew a parallel between the day of the hearing and the Orthodox feast of the Life-Giving Spring icon of the Mother of God, saying that the path to truth was open to all who defend it: “The feast of the Life-Giving Spring icon reminds us all that life conquers death. Light conquers darkness. Good conquers evil. Truth conquers lies. And also that the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is open to all who stand on the side of truth.”

Defence counsel Vitaly Isakov then spoke, setting out and elaborating ten grounds on which the verdict against Lev Shlosberg is unlawful and must be overturned.

First, what exactly Lev Shlosberg is alleged to have done has not been established: “Over four hearings at the appellate court, no specific provision of the labelling rules has been identified as the one he is charged with violating”.

Isakov stressed that saving a video is not the same as distributing it: Lev Shlosberg could not technically have fulfilled the obligation attributed to him. Vitaly Isakov argued: “It is like demanding that a viewer alter a frame in someone else’s film. The viewer has no rights over the film, no access to the edit, no tools. All he can do is save it and watch it”. “It follows from the administrative offence reports and the court hearing transcripts that the publications were not posted by Shlosberg but by another person under a contract.”

The defence also pointed to the absence of any public danger: “Five videos saved to a personal page. What were the consequences of this act? Was material damage caused somewhere? Did people die? Did states collapse? No”.

Furthermore, the sentence handed down to Shlosberg by the court was unjust, the lawyer stressed: “420 hours of compulsory labour is cruelty, not justice. The alleged ‘offence’ involves no public danger, no harm, no victims, no aggravating circumstances”.

Defence counsel Vladimir Danilov, in his address, noted that the verdict misrepresented witness testimony. The court of first instance had also shown clear favour to the prosecution: “The prosecution’s evidence satisfied the court entirely. The defence evidence — however serious and substantial — did not. In the verdict, it was either ignored, distorted, or rejected on spurious grounds”.

The Judge, at the defence’s request, adjourned the hearing as the working day had come to an end.

The hearing will resume on 22 April at 10:00. Closing arguments will be heard from Lev Shlosberg and a public prosecutor. The politician will be given the final word.

As a reminder, on 5 November a magistrate judge sentenced Lev Shlosberg to 420 hours of compulsory labour for five videos posted by others that had been saved to his personal VKontakte page. This is the first such case in Russian judicial practice.