Alexei Navalny looks skinnier than ever as he appears in court to deny ‘absurd’ allegations
Alexei Navalny looks thinner than ever as he appears in court to deny ‘absurd’ charges of ‘extremism’ that could land him in a Russian jail for life
- Navalny, who was arrested in 2021, appeared in court in prison clothes
- Media and family ex-lawyer forced to follow procedure remotely
- The imprisoned Russian opposition leader, 47, is a nemesis of Vladimir Putin
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has appeared in court looking skinnier than ever on charges that could keep him behind bars for decades.
The retrial will take place at a maximum security prison in Melekhovo, 150 miles east of Moscow, where Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court.
The imprisoned Russian opposition leader and nemesis of Vladimir Putin exposed civil service corruption and organized large protests against the Kremlin.
The 47-year-old was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Moscow after recovering in Germany from a nerve gas poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin.
Navalny has said the new charges of extremism, which he dismissed as “absurd,” could keep him in prison for another 30 years.
Alexei Navalny will appear in court on Monday on charges he has described as ‘absurd’
He said he was told by an investigator that he would also face a separate trial in military court on terrorism charges, which could potentially carry a life sentence.
The new trial, which began Monday, comes as Russian authorities crack down on dissent during the fighting in Ukraine, which Navalny has criticized.
The Moscow court, which opened the hearing at Navalny’s IK-6 prison, did not allow the media into the chamber, with members of the press forced to watch the proceedings via video feed from a separate building.
Navalny’s parents were also denied access to the courtroom and followed the hearing from a distance.
Navalny’s parents and the media were forced to watch the legal process from a distance
Dressed in his prison clothes, Navalny looked thin, but spoke emphatically and gestured energetically as the trial went on.
The new charges against him relate to the activities of his anti-corruption foundation and statements made by his top officials.
His allies said the charges would retroactively criminalize all activities of the 47-year-old foundation since its inception in 2011.
Navalny, a nemesis of Vladimir Putin, above, claims Russian authorities are not providing him with proper medical care and has expressed concern for his health
One of Navalny’s associates, Daniel Kholodny, was transferred from another prison to stand trial with him.
While imprisoned, Navalny spent months in a one-person cell, known as a “punishment cell,” for alleged disciplinary offenses such as allegedly improperly buttoning his prison robes, properly introducing himself to a guard, or washing his face at the Police. a certain time.
His associates and supporters have accused prison authorities of not providing him with proper medical care and expressed concern over his ill health.