Russia: Alexej Navalny defends against prison sentence – trial in Moscow starts
Created: 05/17/2022, 2:40 p.m
By: Daniel Dillman
Opposition politician Alexei Navalny is on trial again in Russia.
(Archive image) © Moscow City Court Press Office/dpa
In Russia, he was long considered Vladimir Putin's most dangerous opponent.
Alexei Navalny is now on trial in Moscow.
Moscow – Alexei Navalny continues to fight for justice – this time in a Moscow court.
There, on Tuesday, May 17, the appeals process against the opposition activist who was imprisoned for embezzlement begins.
Navalny himself will not be present, but will be connected via video from the penal colony in Prokrow.
Prokrov is a suburb of Moscow, west of the Russian capital.
Navalny has been in prison in Russia since January 2021.
The opposition politician was arrested shortly after his return from Berlin.
In Germany, he spent several months recovering from an attack with a nerve agent for which he blames the government of President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin denies the allegations.
Alexei Navalny in court: opposition politician is in a penal colony
In March, Alexei Navalny was then sentenced to nine years in a penal colony with harsher prison conditions.
The court in Moscow found the allegations of embezzlement and contempt of court proven.
According to the verdict, Navalny is said to have used donations in the millions that had flowed to his political organizations for private purposes.
The 45-year-old opposition politician had asked for the hearing to be postponed by a week.
This would have given him the opportunity to see his family again before being transferred to another penal colony.
Navalny has been married to Julija Navalny since 2000.
The couple has a daughter and a son.
Surname | Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny |
Age: | 45 years (born June 4, 1976 in Russia) |
Marital status | married (to Julija Navalnaj, since 2000) |
children | Daria Navalnaya, Zahar Navalny |
Political party | progressive party |
Alexei Navalny: Putin is taking massive action against criticism in Russia
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, the Russian authorities have taken massive action against critical voices and the independent media.
Above all, the organizations of Navalny are in the sights of the investigative authorities.
Many have already been banned.
The Kremlin critic himself and some of his associates were put on an official list of "terrorists and extremists" in January.
Despite the restricted freedom of expression, a former general recently became very clear on the subject of the Ukraine war in a live broadcast on Russian television.
(dil/AFP)
