Moscow Court Rejects Alexey Navalny's Appeal

20 Feb 2021 by Tommy Beer · Forbes

Topline

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's appeal against his prison sentence was rejected by a Moscow court on Saturday, meaning President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic will likely be forced to serve over 2 1/2 years in prison despite a top European rights court's calling for Navalny to be freed.

A protesters holds a banner reading "FREE NAVALNY" in front of the Federal Chancellery, as some ... [+] 2,500 supporters of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny march in protest to demand his release from prison in Moscow on January 23, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)Getty Images

Key Facts

Navalny's lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, petitioned the Moscow City Court to immediately release her client, noting the European Court of Human Rights ruling that Navalny's sentence is unlawful.

Earlier this week, the ECHR ordered the Russian government to release Navalny, citing "the nature and extent of risk to the applicant's life."

In his speech at the hearing, Navalny, 44, urged his fellow citizens to resist pressure from tyrannical Russian authorities and stand up to the Kremlin.

"The government's task is to scare you and then persuade you that you are alone," Navalny said.

Although this appeal failed, the judge slightly reduced Navalny's prison term, ruling that a month-and-half he spent under house arrest in early 2015 would be deducted from his sentence.

Crucial Quote:

"Even though our country is built on injustice and we all constantly face injustice ... we also see that millions of people, tens of millions of people, want righteousness," Navalny told the court. "They want righteousness, and sooner or later, they will have it."

Key Background:

In late August, Navalny, who has been imprisoned multiple times in the past few years for organizing anti-Kremlin protests, fell suddenly ill aboard a flight from Moscow. Navalny slipped into a coma after being admitted to a Siberian hospital, and it was determined that he had been poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent. After recovering, Navalny flew home to Moscow last month and was immediately arrested. Russian authorities claimed Navalny violated the parole terms from a suspended sentence he received six years ago. Navalny called on his supporters to protest. The following week, tens of thousands of protesters flooded into the streets throughout the country in support of Navalny. According to the Washington Post, demonstrations were held in nearly 70 cities and towns across Russia. In the largest protest, an estimated crowd of at least 40,000 people gathered in Moscow. The demonstrations resulted in scattered violent clashes between police officers and protestors. Authorities reportedly detained approximately 11,000 people, many of whom were fined or jailed up to 15 days. Nonetheless, earlier this month, a lower court sentenced Navalny to two years and eight months in prison.

Chief Critic:

In response to Saturday's ruling in Moscow, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted: "I condemn the decision of yet another Russian court to keep behind bars the leader of Russian opposition Alexei@navalny, this is contrary to@ECHR_CEDH rulings, if #Russia does not comply with its international obligations,@coe must impose sanctions against this country."

Big Number:

27%. Putin allowed Navalny on a ballot just once, in 2013, when Navalny entered into Moscow's mayoral race. He captured 27% of the vote, finishing second behind a Kremlin loyalist.