Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalni returns on Friday before a court to find out if he considers it guilty of a series of charges of extremism that may entail other 20 years jail sentence.
The 47-year-old detractor is already turning nine years of imprisonment in a prison maximum security for “embezzlement”, an accusation that his followers consider fabricated for having challenged the president Vladimir Putin.
Navalni said he expects a long “Stalinist” jail term of around 18 years, and encouraged his supporters to resist Putin’s power in a statement on Thursday.
“Please consider and realize that by jailing hundreds, Putin is trying to intimidate millions,” he said.
Navalni has many followers on social networks, where he has published videos exposing alleged cases of corruption between the russian elite and has managed to mobilize anti-government protests.
The court hearing on Friday will take place behind closed doors at the IK-6 penitentiary, a maximum security facility some 250 km east of Moscowwhere the former lawyer is serving his sentence.
The prosecution alleges that Navalni created an organization that undermines public safety by carrying out “extremist activities”.
Your Foundation anti-corruptionwhich investigates the Russians responsible, was prohibited for extremism in 2021.
Your former chief of staff, Leonid Volkovand other collaborators were also charged with organizing or participating in an “extremist community.”
Most of his close allies left Russia.
The repression against dissident voices increased after the start of the offensive against Ukraine last year and has driven most of the embattled opposition movement into exile.
punishment cell
Navalni’s last days before the verdict were spent in a punishment cell where, according to his spokesman, he is often sent for minor infractions of prison rules.
Altogether, it has been almost 200 days in that cell, according to his team, who repeatedly accuses jail authorities of harassing him.
Navalni was arrested in 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning he blames on Kremlin.
The opponent said that the prison authorities forced him to share a cell with a sick prisoner and subjected him and the rest of the prisoners to “Putin torture”making them repeatedly listen to speeches by the Russian president.
also complained about health problems and having lost a lot of weight since his imprisonment.
The prosecution has requested that, in the event of a new conviction, he serve it in an even more restrictive special prison.
In April, Navalni said he could be tried separately on terrorism charges and face life in prison.
His campaign offices were declared extremist organizations in 2021 by the authorities, putting employees, volunteers and supporters at greater risk of prosecution.
In fact, two heads of regional offices were recently sentenced to nine and seven and a half years in prison on charges of extremism.
Thousands of Russians were arrested for to protest against the offensive in Ukraine and some of the most prominent activists in the country, such as Vladimir Kara-Murza or Ilya Yashin, are behind bars.
