Kremlin critic and opposition leader Alexei Navalny (45) has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Now he is attacking President Vladimir Putin (69) hard.
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He does this on Twitter, where the corruption hunter writes, among other things:
– Putin is afraid of the truth.
Navalny thanks for the support he has received, but states that action is also needed against the Kremlin:
– Any activity against the lies and thieves in Putin’s regime. Any opposition to these war criminals.
Outside the court, Navalny’s two lawyers, Olga Mikhailova and Vadim Kobzev, were arrested, according to Mediazona and Reuters, among others. It is not known why they were arrested.
A Russian court on Tuesday found Navalny guilty of “large-scale fraud”. Navalny was wearing a prison camp uniform while the verdict was read out.
“Navalny committed fraud – theft of property committed by an organized group,” said Judge Margarita Kotova, according to Mediazone.
During sentencing, Navalny was sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony with so-called maximum security.
Navalny’s lawyer says they plan to appeal Tuesday’s verdict, Reuters reports.
His wife Julia writes on Instagram:
– We have been together for over 20 years … If we have to withstand constant pressure, then we will learn how to do it too. Nine years means nothing. I love you.
Navalny also reveals on Twitter that his anti-corruption organization, which was banned in Russia in 2021, is now becoming a global company, which does not have to comply with Russian laws.
The charges against him were for embezzlement of 2.7 million rubles. The opposition leader has denied criminal guilt. Now he has been convicted on all charges, reports Interfax. In addition to the fraud, he has also been convicted of insulting the court in a previous trial.
“You are going to burn in hell for what you have done,” he said, addressing the prosecutor and the judge, according to the verdict that was read out on Tuesday.
In recent years, Navalny has emerged as the clear leader of the opposition to Vladimir Putin. However, it is very uncertain how much support he has had / could have had, partly because he is virtually not mentioned in the Kremlin-controlled media.
The sentencing on Tuesday took place in a penal colony in Vladimir County, not far from Moscow, where Navalny is already serving a sentence of three and a half years after violating the duty to report a previously conditional sentence.
The breaches of the duty to report were caused by the fact that he was in a coma in the summer and autumn of 2020, and his allies describe the verdict as politically motivated.
This trial was about further fraud allegations related to the organizations he runs and contempt of court.
During the trial, the prosecution has claimed that the opposition leader has stolen large sums of money from his own organizations. It was allegedly money that the organizations had received as donations.
Mediazone reports that no journalists were allowed into the courtroom where Navalny stayed with his lawyers. In the past, accredited journalists have had access. The well-known journalist Yevgeniya Albats was in a long quarrel with the guards, but had to give up getting in.
Journalists should be able to follow the verdict online, but according to Mediazona this was almost impossible because the judge read so fast and because the quality of the transmission was so poor.
Poisoned
Navalny was poisoned in August 2020 on his way home from an election tour in Siberia. His organization has accused the intelligence of being behind this, and Navalny has said that this was ordered from the highest level, ie Vladimir Putin. The president has denied this.
The opposition leader was treated for poisoning in Germany, and when he returned to Russia in January 2021, he was immediately arrested at the airport and Moscow.
The prison authorities had warned in advance that Navalny came to be arrested as soon as he set foot on Russian soil, but the corruption hunter still chose to withdraw.
Navalny has become particularly famous for his revelations of corruption in the Russian power apparatus. He and a number of his closest associates and supporters are terrorized by the authorities. As Navalny’s organization is now labeled “extremist” and illegal, it has been closed for the time being.
The opposition politician has been arrested by Russian authorities several times and is under house arrest.
Judge Margarita Kotova read out the verdict, saying that Navalny illegally collected donations for an election campaign, despite the fact that it was known that he (due to the conditional sentence at the time) was not eligible.
– He did not act alone, but had accomplices, the judge said, which made Navalny laugh and start talking to lawyer Olga Mikhailova, who stood by his side, reports Mediazone.
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