Alexander Skobov, a 67-year-old dissident, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia for his anti-war views and association with the opposition group Free Russia Forum. This ruling, viewed by observers as evidence that Russia’s current repression surpasses even parts of the Soviet era, comes from a case that highlights the country’s growing intolerance towards dissent.

Skobov, recognized for his lifelong opposition to the Soviet and Russian governments, has a long history of activism. He published the dissident journal Perspektivy and voiced his opposition to various Soviet and Russian military interventions, including the current invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Throughout his life in the Soviet Union, Skobov was repeatedly accused of “anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda” and was for Letombini in psychiatric hospitals, totaling six years in confinement. His latest sentence could be seen as a life sentence due to his age and health issues, including diabetes, hepatitis C, bronchial asthma, and glaucoma.

Before his sentencing, Skobov boldly declared his opposition to the war in Ukraine, accusing the Russian regime of waging aggressive war, committing war crimes, and engaging in political terror and moral corruption. Despite his detention since April 2024, Skobov has remained politically active, writing an open letter to younger Russian political prisoners.

His sentence is seen by organizations like Human Rights Watch as a stark example of the Russian authorities’ war on dissent, with Tanya Lokshina stating that it reflects how the history of suppressing freedom of opinion is repeating itself after more than four decades. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, affecting nearly every aspect of Russian society. The independent outlet Proekt estimated that the level of repression under Putin has exceeded that of Soviet leaders Khrushchev and Brezhnev, with at least 116,000 people persecuted over the past six years.

This case, along with recent detentions of individuals criticizing the war, suggests that the Russian authorities are resolute in their repression of anti-war sentiments at home, even as they claim to be pursuing peace talks regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/21/soviet-era-dissident-alexander-skobov-draconian-jail-sentence-russia-anti-war-views