The pretrial hearing for anti-Putin activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, accused of treason following anti-war comments, will begin today. Photo: Tomáš Roček/Czech Radio

The pretrial hearing for anti-Putin activist Vladimir Kara-Murza will begin today.

Kara-Murza was arrested last year after making remarks about the Russian army following the invasion of Ukraine. After his arrest, Kara-Murza was accused of spreading false information, making controversial statements about the government, and being associated with an “undesirable organization” which voices concern for political captives. He is facing up to 25 years in prison and quickly became an important figure for the opposition force in Russia.

Kara-Murza’s arrest is part of a larger Russian government initiative to heavily crackdown on anti-government factions within the country. It is intended to prevent additional popular uprisings during the short-to medium-term that may further hinder Russia’s ongoing military incursion in Eastern Ukraine. Kara-Murza is all but certain to be convicted in what will largely be a sham trial to crackdown on dissidents. As many who are anti-Putin and anti-war have already left the country, there will likely be a muted response to Kara-Murza’s sentencing. While some activists who remain in Russia may take to the streets, there is unlikely to be widespread opposition to the ruling. This case simply highlights Putin’s crackdown on opposition and consolidation of control over Russian society.