Moscow court rejects Kremlin critic’s appeal over prison term

Ilya Yashin appears in court via video link (AP)

A Moscow court has dismissed a prominent Russian opposition figure’s appeal against his eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence for criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Ilya Yashin was convicted in December of spreading false information about the military, which was made a criminal offence after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine.