Kremlin critic Navalny convicted of extremism and sentenced to 19 years in prison
The Hindu
The new charges against the politician relate to the activities of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and statements by his top associates.
A Russian court convicted imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny of extremism charges and sentenced him to 19 years in prison Friday. Navalny is already serving a nine-year term on a variety of charges that he says were politically motivated.
The new charges against the politician relate to the activities of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and statements by his top associates.
Also read | Russian opposition leader Navalny sent to tiny one-man cell
In 2021, Russian authorities outlawed the foundation and the vast network of Navalny’s offices in Russian regions, calling them extremist organizations and exposing anyone involved to possible prosecution. Navalny’s allies say the charges retroactively criminalize all the foundation’s activities since its creation in 2011.
Navalny, 47, is President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe and has exposed official corruption and organised major anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning. He blamed that poisoning on the Kremlin, which denied involvement.
The authorities previously sentenced him to 2 1/2 years in prison for parole violations and then to another nine years on charges of fraud and contempt of court. It wasn’t immediately clear if he will serve the new sentence concurrently with those.
Also read | Russian court sends an associate of Kremlin foe Navalny to prison for 7 1/2 years
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