Legal proceedings Alexei Navalny is on trial in Russia, sentenced to ten years in prison

Abroad|Trials

For a long time known as an opposition politician Alexei Navalnyita a lawsuit against Russia began on Tuesday. Navalnyi is known for his fight against corruption and human rights abuses hosted by the Kremlin.

A reporter for the news agency AFP said he saw a video of Navalnyi sitting in the prisoner’s clothes during the hearing. He is charged with, among other things, fraud, and the charges can result in a maximum of ten years in prison.

A fraud case against him was launched in 2020. He is accused of stealing more than $ 4.7 million in donations for personal use, even though the donations had been made to his political organizations.

The trial session will be held in the heavily guarded Pokrov Prison, where Navalnyi is imprisoned. The prison is located about 100 kilometers from Moscow.

Navalnyi was imprisoned in January last year and his organization was declared an extremist organization. In January this year Russia added him to its list of terrorists and extremists.

Navalnyi was imprisoned after he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he had received treatment after poisoning. Both the West and Navalnyi accuse Russia of poisoning.

Navalnyi is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence on old fraud charges, but new charges could significantly extend his prison term.

Human Rights Organization Amnesty described the hearing of Navalny as a scam involving prison guards instead of the media.

“It is clear that the Russian authorities intend to ensure that Navalnyi does not leave the prison any time soon,” the organization said in a statement.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Moscow on Tuesday and meet with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine has become explosive in recent days and attempts are being made to resolve the crisis through diplomacy.

According to AFP, Navalny supporters have urged Scholz to raise the fate of the opposition politician in his meeting with Putin.

The most pro-Naval supporters have also pointed out that the trial would be deliberately held at a time of tense time in the crisis in Ukraine. They warn that Russia would plan to significantly extend Navalny’s prison sentence when the world’s attention is currently focused on something bigger.