A MOSCOW COURT has ordered Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison on charges that he violated the terms of his probation while he was recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning.
Mr Navalny, who is the most prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, had earlier denounced the proceedings as a vain attempt by the Kremlin to scare millions of Russians into submission.
The prison sentence stems from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that he has rejected as fabricated.
The 44-year-old Mr Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon returning from his five-month convalescence in Germany from the attack, which he has blamed on the Kremlin.
Russian authorities deny any involvement.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said: “Today’s verdict against Alexey Navalny is a bitter blow against fundamental freedoms & the rule of law in Russia. Already in 2017, the ECHR criticised criminal prosecution in this case as arbitrary. Alexey Navalny must be released immediately.”
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