Alexei Navalny: Court upholds nine-year prison sentence for Kremlin critics

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Alexei Navalny can be seen on a screen in the courtroom

Photo: YURI KOCHETKOV / EPA

Alexej Navalny has to adapt to tougher prison conditions.

A Russian court has rejected the Kremlin critic's appeal against a nine-year prison sentence.

The judgment of March 22 remains unchanged and comes into force with immediate effect, a judge in Moscow ruled.

This means that Navalny will be transferred to a penal colony with much stricter prison conditions.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison in March on charges of embezzlement and contempt of court.

Independent observers rate the process as politically motivated.

They see it as an attempt by the Moscow leadership to get rid of a prominent critic.

Navalny, who was already in prison, took part in the court hearing – behind bars – via video link.

"I despise your court, your system," he said when he was allowed to speak one last time at the end of the trial.

The process "makes no sense".

Navalny said of course he didn't want to be "stuck in a cell".

He would much rather see his children grow up.

He urged people not to be afraid.

»This is a stupid war that your Putin started«

In his words, Navalny also attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He called him a mad warmonger.

"This is a stupid war that your Putin started," said Navalny.

"This war is based on lies." Although he was interrupted several times by the judge, Navalny was undeterred.

Russia is run by thieves and criminals who have become enemies of the Russian people.

"A madman has got his hands on Ukraine and I don't know what he wants with it - this insane thief."

The appeal process began last week, but Navalny asked for the hearing to be postponed by a week so that he could meet his family again before being transferred to another penal colony.

The opposition member has been in prison since January 2021 on other allegations.

In March, a court ruled that Navalny had used millions of euros in donations paid to his political organizations for personal purposes.

Navalny was arrested in January 2021 after returning from Berlin.

In Germany, he spent several months recovering from an attack with the neurotoxin Novichok, for which he blames the Kremlin.

According to research by SPIEGEL, the Bellingcat platform and other partners, at least eight agents from the Russian secret service FSB were apparently involved in the poisoning of Navalny.

Moscow denies the allegations.

Since his imprisonment, the Russian authorities have cracked down on critical voices and independent media, especially since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

Navalny's most important organizations were banned.

The Kremlin critic himself and some of his associates were put on the authorities' list of "terrorists and extremists" in January.

ulz/AFP/AP