Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Kremlin critic Navalny loses appeal and is found guilty of defamation

Kremlin critic Navalny loses appeal and is found guilty of defamation

The opposition leader, who returned to Russia in January after being treated for Novichok poisoning in Germany, appeared before a Moscow court in two separate cases on Saturday.

A Moscow court rejected Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's appeal against his prison sentence on Saturday, upholding a ruling that could see the Kremlin critic sent to a forced labour camp for nearly three years.

Navalny, who is the focus of multiple ongoing legal proceedings, was also found guilty of defamation in a separate case.

Speaking before the verdict, Navalny urged Russians to stand up to the Kremlin in a fiery speech mixing references to the Bible and Harry Potter.

A lower court sentenced Navalny earlier this month to two years and eight months in prison for violating terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusation.

Navalny, 44, an anti-corruption crusader and President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic, appealed the prison sentence and asked to be released. The Moscow City Court's judge on Saturday only slightly reduced his sentence to just over 2 and a half years in prison, ruling that a month-and-half Navalny spent under house arrest in early 2015 will be deducted from his sentence.

EU intervention


The two hearings come as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) this week called for the release of the 44-year-old Russian anti-corruption activist, arguing a risk is posed to the life of the opposition politician who survived a Novichok poisoning last year.

The intervention was immediately rejected by Moscow, which had already swept aside calls from the European Union for the cases against Navalny to be dropped, despite the threat of sanctions.

Returning to Russia in January from a convalescence in Germany, Navalny was arrested on arrival at the airport and was sentenced on February 2 to two years and eight months in prison.

The court converted a suspended prison sentence for fraud dating from 2014 into a firm sentence for violating his parole conditions.

It was this judgment that was being considered on appeal on Saturday morning in a Moscow court.

Present at the hearing, the opponent rejected the charge, saying he never wanted to evade the Russian authorities by going to Germany and warned them of his return.

"I bought a ticket and told everyone I was going home... It's just absurd," he told the judge, according to an AFP journalist present at the court.

The prosecutor retorted by saying that the opponent had "openly and brazenly" defied the law and that he wants to be granted an "exclusive" right of authorisation.

Ulyana Solopova, a spokeswoman for the Moscow courthouse, told AFP that the prison services will be free to transfer the opponent to one of Russia's many labour camps if the February 2 decision is confirmed.

Further legal action


In addition, Navalny appeared before another judge on Saturday afternoon in a trial for allegedly defaming a World War II veteran.

He was found guilty, and fined around 850,000 roubles (9,500 euros).

As a legacy of the Soviet Union, most prison sentences in Russia are served in prison camps, sometimes far from anywhere. Prisoners are required to work, usually in sewing or furniture-making workshops.

Prison conditions are also regularly denounced by human rights activists.

Navalny, whose incarceration in January led to three days of demonstrations repressed by the police, denounces fabricated legal proceedings and has spent previous hearings defying the court.

According to him, the Kremlin wants to throw him in prison to silence him, after failing to kill him by poisoning him in August last year. Moscow rejects these accusations.

Other cases are ongoing. In particular, a defamation suit has been filed against Navalny by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, reputed to be close to President Vladimir Putin.

He is also being investigated for fraud, a case currently under investigation in which the maximum sentence is 10 years in prison.

The EU and the United States have made repeated calls for Navalny's release while the opponent's collaborators have urged the West to punish high-ranking Russian officials close to Putin.

Moscow sees this as "interference" in his affairs and has threatened Europeans with reprisals.

Navalny and his supporters plan to organise new demonstrations against the government in the spring and summer in the run-up to parliamentary elections.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×