A court in Russia convicted a former police officer of publicly spreading false information about the country's military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends over the phone.
The ex-officer, Semiel Vedel, was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison under a law the Kremlin adopted days after sending troops into Ukraine and has actively used to stifle dissent. In addition to the prison term, he was barred from working in law enforcement for four years after his release.
