A Russian lawyer who defended people in political cases has been sentenced to 12 years for treason. She says she’ll pray for her ‘executioners.’
The Kaliningrad Regional Court has sentenced lawyer Maria Bontsler to 12 years in prison on treason charges, the human rights project Slovo Zashchite reported. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence. The trial was held behind closed doors.
“Convicting an innocent person is a terrible crime. So I will pray for my executioners, that the Lord may have mercy on them. I have nothing more to say,” Bontsler said after the verdict was announced.
Asked about her health, she said she was “barely holding on”:
Sheer pride is all that’s keeping me going. My health is terrible; I’m losing the use of my legs. I’m afraid this will end badly for me. No medical examinations are planned for now. They treat me very well at the pretrial detention center. And the guys are really upset that I’ve been given such an enormous sentence. Everyone just feels for me.
Investigators alleged that in 2024, Bontsler was tasked with collecting information about law enforcement and security officers involved in “uncovering and investigating” criminal cases against people accused of “cooperating with an unfriendly state.” They also alleged that she passed information about criminal cases obtained “through her work as a lawyer” to “the intelligence services of an unfriendly state.”
Bontsler, 66, is known for defending people facing politically motivated charges in Kaliningrad. She was detained in late May 2025, initially on charges of cooperating with a foreign state. The charge was later changed to treason.
Her health has deteriorated significantly in pretrial detention. According to OVD-Info, Bontsler has been diagnosed with hypertensive heart disease, which causes spikes in blood pressure and carries a high risk of stroke. Her defense team said she nearly died in detention “because of conflicting prescriptions.”
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