Russian politician Maxim Kruglov has been sentenced to seven years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian army and for calls to end the war in Ukraine.

Maxim Kruglov, deputy leader of the liberal Yabloko party in Russia, was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian army, less than three months before the parliamentary elections. Kruglov, a former deputy in the Moscow legislature, was arrested last October for two messages on Telegram, in which he mentioned UN data about casualties in the conflict in Ukraine and the events in Bucha. Yabloko, a liberal party with a significant history, is facing difficulties, currently holding only a few seats in regional parliaments.

The parliamentary elections in Russia are scheduled for September 20, against the backdrop of declining popularity of the United Russia party, which is approaching its lowest historical level. The Kremlin is counting on a new party, New People, which opposes the restrictive measures imposed by the authorities. At the same time, Yabloko continues to be persecuted, and its activists face arrests and accusations of extremism. Opinion polls suggest a decline in support for United Russia, and the authorities have altered polling methods to hide this collapse.