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diplomacyAug 17, 2026

Russian court jails anti-war politician Lev Shlosberg for 11 years

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Russian court jails anti-war politician Lev Shlosberg for 11 years A Russian court jailed opposition politician Lev Shlosberg for 11 years and one month over anti-war remarks. The verdict underscores the Kremlin's intensifying assault on dissent ahead of next month's parliamentary election. A Russian court on Monday convicted prominent opposition politician Lev Shlosberg for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to 11 years and one month in prison, in the latest crackdown ahead of next month's parliamentary election. The verdict against Shlosberg, a senior member of the Yabloko party, marks another move by the Kremlin against dissent since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Yabloko is the only official political party in Russia that openly opposes the war. Shlosberg, 63, is Yabloko's deputy chairman and served in the regional legislature of Pskov from 2016 to 2021. He was tried in Pskov, about 600 kilometres northwest of Moscow, on charges of "discrediting" the Russian military and spreading "false information" about it. He has rejected the charges as unfounded. The case was linked to a debate in which he called for the war to end, and to a post on his Telegram channel showing a British tabloid front page with an image of a bloodied woman next to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin under the headline, "Her blood ... his hands." It was the second trial Shlosberg has faced in the past two years. He had also been designated a "foreign agent", a label with strong negative overtones in Russia that brings extra government scrutiny, and was convicted of violating foreign agent rules. In December 2025, he was placed in pre-trial detention on the new charges and has remained in custody since then. In his final statement to the court on Friday, Shlosberg said that for 30 years, Russia had travelled "a path from hopes for freedom to the almost complete destruction of human and civil rights and freedoms". He said the war in Ukraine had "changed the lives of every Russian citizen without exception" and predicted that once its true death toll becomes known, "the entire country will shudder". After the verdict, Yabloko said Shlosberg had received a "brutal sentence" for "love of the Motherland and calls for a ceasefire". The party said on Telegram that he would appeal against the verdict. Amnesty International also criticised the ruling. Marie Struthers, the group's Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, said, "His arbitrary prosecution and sentencing are blatant reprisals for exercising his right to freedom of expression to call for peace." She added, "The Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Lev Shlosberg and quash his conviction," and called on them to repeal laws criminalising peaceful anti-war speech, end the persecution of Yabloko members and supporters, and respect the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and political participation for all Russians. The case against Shlosberg, one of the most prominent anti-war voices in Russian politics, has added to pressure on dissenters as the country heads towards next month's parliamentary election. With PTI Inputs

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  • India Today World DeskBy India Today World Desk

    Russian court jails anti-war politician Lev Shlosberg for 11 years A Russian court jailed opposition politician Lev Shlosberg for 11 years and one month over anti-war remarks. The verdict underscores the Kremlin's intensifying assault on dissent ahead of next month's parliamentar

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Key points: Bitcoin diverges from US stocks as Trump says Strait of Hormuz “open” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 bounced from 7,696, its lowest level since Aug. 4. BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView This came after US president Donald Trump posted a map of the closed Strait of Hormuz oil route to Truth Social where it was labeled “new US territory.

” Both the US and Iran lay claim to control of Hormuz, with Trump threatening US ally Oman with military action over its plans to work with Iran on charging tolls to shipping traffic. In a subsequent post, Trump confirmed that further diplomacy with Iran was not on the agenda.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he wrote. S&P 500 one-day chart.

Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView As on Monday, oil avoided major volatility, with WTI crude down 1% at the time of writing at $84 per barrel. US government bonds continued to show strain, with the 30-year yield hitting 5.34%, its highest since January 2007.

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US 30-year bond yields one-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView BTC price faces crunch rebound test Updating X followers on BTC/USD, trader and analyst Aksel Kibar eyed the culmination of a potential reverse head-and-shoulders pattern at $62,300.

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BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com Previously, Cointelegraph reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to break higher. Its rebound to $64,500 also stopped short of an overhead trend line, the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA).

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Location: Strait of Hormuz
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
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Trump says no talks underway with Iran, Hormuz blockade remains in place US president says no discussions are taking place or planned with Tehran and reiterates that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks are taking place with Iran and that no discussions are currently scheduled between the two countries.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains "in full force and effect." The president did not provide further details regarding US policy towards Iran or any potential future diplomatic engagement.

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Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran had “won both the war and diplomacy,” claiming those who initially sought Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” later sought negotiations. Speaking at an event, Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against what he described as “the world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power and with the support of nearly all Western countries and some other states inside and outside the region, according to the Tasnim news agency.

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” “We fought with strength, and we negotiated with strength,” he said, adding that many foreign ministers had told him: “You won both the war and diplomacy.” Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on Iran on Monday to give up and “raise the white flag.

Location: Tehran
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- Iran demands US lift sanctions and return frozen assets to reopen Strait of Hormuz - Iran's Parliament Speaker warns closure of Strait continues until US ends military threats - Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait, impacting energy security Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to oil sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US blockade and military threats.

Al-Arabiya English reported that Iran's Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Trump administration must meet the conditions before Tehran considers reopening the strategic waterway. “Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Ghalibaf said.

Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/fl2RrKnT1R— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) August 18, 2026 Ghalibaf also warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully depending on the actions of its adversaries.

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The talks are expected to cover regional developments and bilateral cooperation, including border security, counterterrorism, economic ties and implementation of existing agreements. Iraqi media have also reported that the agenda could include a proposal concerning Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit comes as regional governments grapple with the implications of continued disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors. ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions: Another Ship Hit By Unknown Projectile, Says UKMTO Centre The security situation in the waterway has also remained tense.

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Location: Tehran