A Russian court has sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 19 years in prison after convicting him of extremism charges, according to his spokesperson and Russian news agencies. Navalny is already serving a nine-year term on other politically motivated charges. The new charges are related to his anti-corruption foundation’s activities and statements made by his associates. This is his fifth criminal conviction and the longest prison term he has received. Navalny’s supporters see this as a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to silence him. It is unclear if this new term will be served concurrently with his current sentence. The prosecution originally demanded a 20-year prison sentence. Navalny appeared in court looking gaunt but defiant. The judge took less than 10 minutes to announce the verdict and sentence, which is unusually swift in Russia. Navalny’s spokesperson confirmed the verdict on social media. Navalny’s allies argue that the extremism charges criminalize all the activities of his foundation. Navalny has rejected all charges and accused the Kremlin of seeking to keep him in prison for life. He called on Russians to resist and support political prisoners. Navalny is currently serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison and has spent months in solitary confinement for alleged disciplinary violations. He has 10 days to appeal the verdict.
National: Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Receives 19-Year Prison Sentence on Extremism Charges
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