Russian journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza given 25-year sentence for treason

In the moments after Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced on Monday to 25 years behind bars in a Russian prison, the vocal Kremlin critic remained defiant and told the court that one day "Russia would be free."

Kara-Murza was handed one of Russia's harshest punishments in recent years at a court hearing that his supporters and members of the media were blocked from attending. The 41-year-old father of three was convicted of treason and other offences for speaking out against the Ukraine invasion during speeches he gave in the U.S. and in Europe.

Last week, Kara-Murza said that he remains proud of standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin's "dictatorship" and his decision to send troops into Ukraine.

"I know that the day will come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear," Kara-Murza said in remarks last week that were posted on social networks and Russian opposition media. "And then our society will open its eyes and shudder when it realizes what terrible crimes were committed in its name."

He has been in custody in Russia since April 2022, after he chose to return despite the fact that the Kremlin's unrelenting crackdown on its critics left him at great risk.

"It is an act of cynical revenge," said Evgenia Kara-Murza, his wife, in an interview with CBC News before the sentence was handed down.

She told CBC that both she and her husband knew the judge would sign off on the 25-year sentence the prosecutor was demanding.

"They are so afraid of him, afraid of the effectiveness of his work, and they hate him so much that they want to lock him up," she said.

Canada and other Western governments condemned Monday's sentence.

"Three decades ago, a free and democratic Russia struggled to come into being. Today's verdict is a sad testament to the dark turn this struggle has come to," said Alison LeClaire, Canada's ambassador to Russia. "Regardless of this verdict, freedom-minded people in this country and all over the world recognize Vladimir Kara-Murza as a man of honour and conscience, a resolute defender of civil and political rights, and an ally of the people in their struggle for a free and democratic Russia."

WATCH | Kara-Murza, to CBC News, condemns Kremlin on eve of Ukraine invasion:

LeClaire was outside the court alongside the ambassadors from the U.K. and U.S.. — where the Kara-Murzas have resided in recent years — as well as a large crowd of media and supporters. Canada and the U.S. have previously sanctioned Russian justice and other officials involved in Kara-Murza's arrest and prosecution.

The British government summoned its Russian ambassador over the sentencing of Kara-Murza, who also holds a U.K. passport.

"Russia's lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. "We continue to urge Russia to adhere to its international obligations including Vladimir Kara-Murza's entitlement to proper health care."