Russian opposition politician convicted of false information on Ukraine war

MOSCOW - A Russian court on Friday found an opposition politician, Ilya Yashin guilty of charges of spreading false information about atrocities committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Bucha in February and March. He was to be sentenced later Friday.

Mr. Yashin, who pleaded not guilty, is one of the highest-profile opposition politicians in Russia. Before his arrest in July, he spoke about the war on his YouTube channel, often expressing his criticism of President Vladimir V. Putin and his special military operation. While many Putin critics fled Russia immediately after its invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Yashin vowed to remain, even if it meant serving prison time.

Prosecutor Sergei Belov told the Meshchansky District Court in Moscow that Mr. Yashin had spoken indiscriminately about the coverage of the war by Russian news media and instead cited news produced by outlets from unfriendly states: the United States and its satellites that supply instructors and weapons to Ukraine. The verdict against Mr. Yashin, who served in the Krasnoselsky district of Moscow, is a recent example of the Kremlin's attempts to silence criticism, especially of its invasion of Ukraine.