Russia has accused the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada of meddling in its internal affairs after they condemned the treason
conviction of opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The Moscow court sentenced Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic who holds Russian and British passports, to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of treason in a trial deemed politically motivated by the West.
The ruling was met with outrage from Western governments, who have imposed sanctions on Russia for purported human rights violations. The joint appearance of the three ambassadors in front of the Moscow court to demand Kara-Murza's release was labeled as unacceptable interference by Russia's Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Western diplomats to stay out of Russia's domestic affairs or face expulsion from the country. The Kremlin and its supporters have accused Kara-Murza of being an "agent of influence" for the West who has helped to craft effective sanctions against Russia. Photo by NVO, Wikimedia commons.