Russian justice on Tuesday confirmed the nine -year imprisonment in the “severe regime” of Russia’s main opponent, Alexei Navalny, a decision expected as repression has increased in recent years and since the offensive against Ukraine. .
After a speedy trial, the Moscow City Court, which took on the appeal of the charismatic anti-corruption activist, decided to let not changing the judgment uttered for the first time, emphasizing that it has entered effective immediately.
On March 22, Alexeï Navalny, already serving a sentence in a colony known as normal dietwas sentenced to nine years in prison under malalawhere conditions of detention are more harsh.
It is up to the prison authorities to transfer him to another place of detention.
Mr. Navalny has been accused primarily of embezzling millions of rubles in donations paid to his anti-corruption organizations.
Included in this sentence was submitted in March 2021 for fraudin a case in 2014 and involving French company Yves Rocher.
Defendant’s attorneys immediately indicated that they would appeal this judgment.
I hate your court
Alexei Navalny appeared via videoconference from the Pokrov colony, 100 km from Moscow, where he was serving his first sentence.
Imprisoned in a cage, he listened intently and grumbled to the verdict.
Called to speak before the close of the proceedings, the defendant did not utter his words, despite several calls to order from the court.
I despise your court, your systemhe launched, considering that this trial had been had no Sens.
Of course I don’t want to be in a celldid he declare. I prefer to see my children grow up. But I call on people not to be afraid. Being afraid is a crime against our future.
It is definitely you, your system and Putin who are betraying the Russian peoplehe added, taking advantage of the platform offered to him to denounce again the Russian military offensive in Ukraine.
This war is based on an extreme liehe said, while this word, when it designates the current offensive, launched on February 24, is banned in Russia, under penalty of fines or imprisonment.
” There are the same lies in this judgment as in the facts of this war. “
Your time will pass, and you will burn in hellend of the opponent.
The Kremlin is stepping up its repression
Alexei Navalny was arrested in January 2021 on his return from Berlin, where he spent several months recovering from poisoning, for which he held Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable.
The latter certainly denies and no investigation has been opened.
This arrest marked the starting point for accelerating the widespread suppression of all anti-Kremlin movements and independent media in Russia.
This has risen further since February 24 and Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a military offensive against Ukraine.
Russian authorities have sharply increased their pressure and their legal arsenal to control communication in the conflict with Russia, threatening to impose sentences of up to 15 years in prison for disseminating wrong information in the Russian army.
The main opponent organizations are described asextremists of the courts in June 2021, a decision that led to their closure and prosecution of many of their activists. Many of them are now in exile.
At the end of January, Mr. Navalny himself was placed on the list terrorist and extremist.
Sarcastic, he told his supporters in September not to worry about him, because he would be free no later than spring 2051.
Source: Radio-Canada
