The Russian judiciary this Friday sentenced the jailed opposition leader, Alexei Navalnito a further 19 years in prison, including for extremism.
Navalni, who was tried in prison in the Vladimir region – 200 kilometers from Moscow – where he He is already nine years old because of fraudis serving his sentence in a special regime prison where prisoners serving life sentences are being held.
The process took place in Vladimir region prison -about 200 kilometers from Moscow- where he is already serving nine years for fraud.
The opponent is accused of founding an extremist organizationalluding to the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK), established in 2011 and banned two years ago.
The FBK greatly angered the Kremlin by denouncing the illegal enrichment of high-ranking officials, including the president. Wladimir Putinwhom he accused in 2021 of owning a magnificent palace on the shores of the Black Sea.
He was also accused of financing and inciting extremist activities, setting up an organization that violates citizens’ rights and involving minors in dangerous actions, citing unauthorized opposition demonstrations.
The judge of the Moscow City Court, Andrei SuvorovIt was only a few minutes before he announced the verdict against Navalni, who appeared in the courtroom in a prisoner’s uniform.
Prison authorities prevented the press from being present in the courtroom, and journalists were forced to watch the hearing on television from another room. In the past few days, the local press had speculated about a possible transfer of Navalni to another prison far away from the capital.
According to the extra-parliamentary opposition Navalni will not be released as long as Putin, who is expected to stand for re-election in 2024, remains in power.
Navalni, who had predicted he would receive one “Stalinist” sentence of 18 yearsreminded the day before that he still has to be tried by a military court for terrorism, which according to his forecasts could bring him another ten years.
He also urged his fellow believers not to give up and to keep protesting Kremlineven if this protest is silent.
“There is no shame in choosing the safest form of protest. “It’s shameful to do nothing and be intimidated,” he said in the Telegram.
Western law firms demanded the release of Navalni, who from prison condemned the “criminal war” in Ukraine launched by Putin accused of sending hundreds of thousands of Russians “to the slaughter”.