Russian opposition activist Pivovarov jailed 4 years

Russian opposition activist Andrei Pivovarov was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison for leading a banned pro-democracy group.

Pivovarov, 40, is the former executive director of Open Russia, a now disbanded pro-democracy group established by exiled tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. 

He is the latest critic of President Vladimir Putin to be sent to prison, with Moscow seeking to snuff out any last vestiges of dissent amid its offensive in Ukraine.

"Andrei Pivovarov was sentenced to four years in a standard-regime penal colony," his aides wrote on Facebook after the southern city of Krasnodar delivered its verdict.

The activist will be banned from conducting any political activities for eight years.

Russian society is reeling from a historic crackdown on dissent. All main independent media outlets have been shut down or suspended operations, Instagram and Facebook have been banned, and any criticism of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine outlawed.

Speaking from his metal cage in court, Pivovarov said that change to Russia would come, sooner or later.

"And even if now those who stand for the future are trampled and imprisoned, I know that progress cannot be stopped, changes for the better are inevitable, and they are not far off," he said.