A Russian court has handed down a 19-year prison sentence to opposition leader Alexei Navalny on extremism charges. Navalny, who is already serving a nine-year term, has been convicted on multiple politically motivated charges. The latest charges stem from the activities of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and statements made by his associates. This marks his fifth criminal conviction, all of which are seen by his supporters as an attempt by the Kremlin to silence him. The prosecution had requested a 20-year sentence, and Navalny himself anticipated a lengthy term. In addition to his current sentence, Navalny was also sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in 2021 for violating parole.
The closed-door trial took place in the penal colony where Navalny is imprisoned, and he appeared in court wearing prison attire. Despite his gaunt appearance, Navalny maintained a defiant smile while listening to the verdict. Navalny, a fierce opponent of President Vladimir Putin, has exposed corruption within the Russian government and organized significant anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 after recovering from nerve agent poisoning in Germany, which he attributed to the Kremlin. Navalny’s allies argue that the extremism charges have retroactively criminalized the activities of his anti-corruption foundation since its inception in 2011.
Russian authorities declared the foundation and Navalny’s network of offices in various regions as extremist organizations in 2021, making anyone associated with them liable to prosecution. Navalny vehemently denies all charges, claiming they are politically motivated, and accuses the Kremlin of attempting to keep him incarcerated for life. In a statement released prior to the verdict, Navalny compared his expected sentence to a “Stalinist term,” invoking the memory of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. He called on fellow Russians to resist and support political prisoners through various means, such as distributing flyers or attending rallies. Navalny is currently serving his sentence in Penal Colony No. 6, a maximum-security prison located approximately 150 miles east of Moscow.
During his imprisonment, Navalny has faced disciplinary sanctions, including confinement in a small punishment cell for alleged infractions like failure to properly button his prison clothes. The prosecution has requested that Navalny be transferred to a high-security penal colony, a designation reserved for those serving life sentences or deemed “especially dangerous recidivists.” While these types of prisons are relatively few in number in Russia, comprising 35 colonies for “dangerous recidivists” and six for life prisoners, there are currently 251 maximum-security colonies in operation.
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