Russia Sentences Buryat Activist Khankhalaeva to 20 Years in Absentia

A Russian court sentenced exiled Buryat activist Marina Khankhalaeva to 20 years in prison in absentia for advocating Buryatia's independence. The move escalates Moscow's crackdown on regional separatist movements, signaling a hardening stance against indigenous activism. The sentence is symbolic as Khankhalaeva remains abroad, but it may deter local dissent and strain ethnic relations.