Navalnyi arrived at the courtroom in a relaxed state, without an escort and handcuffs.
Leader of the opposition in Russia Alexei Navalny received a 19-year prison sentence on Friday on charges of extremism. This is the longest sentence handed down to Navalny so far.
The reading of the sentence lasted about ten minutes and Navalnyi and his assistants listened to it while standing in the courtroom.
Senior researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Jussi Lassila previously estimated that the length of the sentence is actually quite irrelevant.
– It does not matter at all. If necessary, a new crime can be invented anywhere.
Lassila previously predicted a harsh sentence.
– Of course, we want to send a message to Navalny and his supporters that there is no release in sight. And to signal in general to potential opposition actors and all kinds of political resistance that “it’s not worth it”.
The harshest sentences since Stalin’s time
According to Lassila, sentences have become tougher in Russia, especially after the large-scale attack on Ukraine began.
– Let’s talk about the harshest sentences then Joseph Stalin I drive. And the number of political prisoners is higher than it was in the Soviet Union, for example Leonid Brezhnev during.
– What mainly motivates the judgments seen now is the deterrent effect. More and more merciless sentences, no flexibility of any kind.
Last year in Russia, among other things, a law was passed, based on which you can get a 15-year prison sentence for spreading “false information” about the country’s armed forces.
The situation of political prisoners is not a priority for the Russians
Navalnyi was arrested in 2021 after he returned to Russia from Germany, where he was recovering from a poisoning attempt. Navalnyi is currently serving his nine-year prison sentence in a penal colony.
As long as the Russian political system and Vladimir Putin’s position remain unchanged, Lassila sees no change in Navalny’s situation – no liberation, but on the other hand, no loss of life either.
According to Lassila, if Navalnyi died in prison, it would certainly cause some kind of reaction within Russia. However, he does not see that the situation of political prisoners alone would cause citizens to protest more broadly and thus risk their own safety.
– It’s a really dangerous subject that immediately gets you into trouble. And unfortunately, it is not very high in the interests of ordinary Russians.
The opposition’s activities in Russia have been extremely restricted. According to Lassila, practically all the main coordinating forces of the opposition are in prison or have left the country.
Sources: AFP, Reuters