Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Handed Further 19-Year Jail Term
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW (Worthy News) – In a move expected to be condemned by the West, Russia’s jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny was given a 19-year prison term.
The trial happened in a remote penal colony amid mounting concerns about his health and security.
Navalny was found guilty of founding and funding “an extremist organization” and activities. He denies the accusations but is already serving sentences totaling 11-and-a-half years in a maximum security facility on charges that include “fraud” and parole violations.
In reaction, the European Union condemned the Russian court sentence. “The latest verdict in yet another sham trial against Alexei Navalny is unacceptable. This arbitrary conviction is the response to his courage to speak critically against the Kremlin’s regime,” European Council President Charles Michel said online.
Navalny, 47, had predicted “a huge sentence, what they call a ‘Stalinist’ sentence” in a statement on his website the day before the verdict.
He said he also expected prosecutors to open a case accusing him of “terrorism” soon as well, aimed at keeping him in prison for a further 10 years.
Navalny’s case underscored a broader crackdown on dissent, which activists suggest worsened following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
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