'It wasn’t immediately clear what was discussed at the day’s session. The treason trial itself -- which Western governments and rights groups call politically motivated -- is scheduled for March 16.
Kara-Murza’s Twitter account said on March 13 that “the press and diplomats were not allowed beyond the courthouse entrance. The bailiff explained it by the fact that the case was ‘super-secret’ and that the press would eavesdrop at the door.”
Vadim Prokhorov, one of his lawyers, told reporters on March 13 that "we have returned to Stalinist times. To enormous Stalinist sentences."
The Moscow court on March 6 extended Kara-Murza’s pretrial despite a physician's request to release him immediately due to his illness -- described as polyneuropathy, a disease affecting peripheral nerves. Kara-Murza's lawyer said the jailed politician's illness was a result of two separate incidents in Moscow -- in 2015 and 2017-- when he fell deathly ill with symptoms consistent with poisoning.
Kara-Murza and his associates have said the Kremlin must have been behind his poisoning. The Kremlin has denied involvement.'
Retrieved from RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty on 25/03/23 on: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kremlin-critic-kara-murza-treason-case/32316009.html