A Russian court has begun hearing a new case against the Kremlin’s main opponent, Alexei Navalny, who has been jailed for more than a year and a half for a fraud case and faces up to ten years in prison.
Navalny appeared in a courtroom of his prison, about 100 km from Moscow, wearing the convict’s uniform and with his hair shaved, next to his lawyers and surrounded by guards, a French Agency reporter found.
In a video connection from the same room, Navalny appears to be hugging his wife Julia Navalnaya while guards are standing next to both of them.
Julia had asked yesterday to gain access to the process that will take place in camera.
Navalny, who has already spent a year in prison after escaping an assassination attempt he attributed to the Kremlin, is charged with new counts of fraud.
He is serving a 2.5-year prison sentence, but new charges are likely to extend his detention.
The new accusations were made in December 2020, while the 45-year-old was recovering in Germany after being attacked with a neurotoxic agent.
Authorities accuse him of embezzling more than $ 4.7 million in donations to his political organizations.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
Amnesty International described the process as a “mock trial, attended by prison guards instead of journalists”.
“It is clear that the Russian authorities intend to ensure that Navalny is not released from prison soon,” the statement added.
The start of the trial coincides with a period of intense negotiations between Russia and the West over Ukraine, and German Chancellor Olaf Soltz is the last Western leader to hold talks with President Putin in Moscow.
Navalny’s allies called on Soltz to raise the issue of Navalny in his talks with Putin today.
“Germany supports peace and justice. And now its place in it is more important than ever,” Navalny’s spokeswoman Keira Jarmis said on Twitter.
The Kremlin opponent faces up to six months in prison for contempt of court in one of the hearings last year when he was jailed on old fraud charges.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
