Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is sentenced to another 19 years in prison, reports Reuters. The already imprisoned regime critic is sentenced for extremism.
“It will be a long prison sentence, a Stalinist sentence,” Navalny tweeted earlier on Friday morning.
47-year-old Alexei Navalny is already in prison following previous convictions, and on Friday afternoon he was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison after being charged with financing extremist activity, publicly inciting extremist activity and “rehabilitating Nazi ideology “.
– It is about the fact that he has had an organization that has worked against corruption. For Russia, there is widespread corruption, says TV4 News Boss Lindwall.
Called on the people of Russia to protest
Ahead of the verdict, Navalny called on the people of Russia to continue protesting. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he writes:
“When the sentence is announced, please think only of one really important thing: what else can I do personally to resist”.
Held behind closed doors
The trial against Alexei Navalny has been held behind closed doors at IK-6, the high-security prison where he is being held. The prosecutor asked for 20 years in prison.
– He will spend a long time in prison if nothing happens. But he is prepared to be punished even more. Therefore, according to him, there will be a trial about terrorism, which he is also accused of, says Bosse Lindwall and continues:
– For him, it’s really about enduring as long as Putin is in power.
Criticizes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
During his closing argument, he criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said his homeland was “bathing in a pool of either mud or blood.”
– Around it lie tens of thousands of people who were killed in the most stupid and senseless war of the 21st century, Navalny said in court.