Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny appeared earlier than a court docket in Moscow on Friday, this time going through a slander trial.
The 44-year-old outstanding Kremlin critic was seen standing inside a glass case for defendants within the courtroom, an AFP journalist reported.
The newest court docket case towards Navalny comes the identical day because the European Union’s high diplomat is holding talks with Russian officers in Moscow.
Why is Navalny again in court docket?
Navalny faces costs of slandering a World War II veteran and a number of other different individuals who took half in a pro-Kremlin video final 12 months.
The video promoted constitutional amendments that handed final 12 months, which permit Russian President Vladimir Putin to doubtlessly stay in workplace till 2036.
Navalny described the individuals within the video as “traitors” with no conscience and “the shame of the country.”
The slander cost is at the moment punishable by as much as two years in jail.
Navalny’s lawyer, nevertheless, argues that he can’t be served a custodial sentence as a result of the alleged crime passed off earlier than the regulation modified to make defamation a jailable offense.
The opposition chief additionally faces a separate probe for allegedly utilizing tens of millions in donations for private functions, together with holidays aboard. The cost is punishable by as much as 10 years in jail.
How has the EU responded?
The EU’s international coverage chief, Josep Borrell, is assembly along with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Friday.
Ahead of the talks, Borrell stated he would ship a “clear message” over Navalny’s arrest and human rights points. It is the primary go to by a senior EU envoy since 2017.
The EU, United States and leaders from different Western international locations have urged Russia to launch Navalny.
They’ve additionally closely criticized the crackdown on pro-Navalny protesters at nationwide rallies over the previous two weeks.
Russia has dismissed the criticism as “hysteria.”
What occurred this week?
On Tuesday, Navalny was sentenced to three years and 6 months for violating probation phrases regarding a 2014 embezzlement case.
He will serve two years and eight months as a consequence of time already spent beneath home arrest. The outspoken Kremlin critic known as the trial an try and “intimidate” the general public.
Navalny was arrested final month upon returning to Moscow from Germany, the place he’d been recovering after being poisoned with a nerve agent in August 2020.
His return an subsequent detention impressed 1000’s of protesters throughout Russia to take to the streets, prompting mass arrests by authorities.
