Kremlin critic found guilty of spreading "false information" about Russian army

One of Russia's most prominent Kremlin critics, Ilya Yashin, has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for spreading "fake news" about the Russian military.

Yashin was convicted under recently adopted Russian legislation, which provides for criminal liability for discrediting Russian armed forces.

Prosecutor's office said that former municipal deputy Ilya Yashin's comments about the Russian army killing civilians in Bucha were illegal.

He denied the charge, but the judge said he had purposefully disseminated false information about the Russian military.

In his closing speech at the court, Yashin stated that he was being persecuted.

"Everybody understands that's the point. I'm isolated from society because they want me to keep quiet. I promise as long as I live, I never will. My mission is to tell the truth. I will always fight for the truth to be revealed even behind bars," Yashin said according to a post on his Telegram account.

Yashin, a close ally of Russian jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, became famous during the protests in 2011-2012, which he helped organize against Putin's re-election for the third term and unfair elections. 

Yashin remained a fierce critic of the Russian president in the following years, and also served as municipal deputy in Moscow before he was banned from running for public office.