Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted of fraud and contempt of court and sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security prison on Tuesday, APA reports citing USNews.
A judge also ruled that Navalny would have to pay a fine of 1.2 million rubles (about $11,500). Navalny can appeal the ruling.
Navalny, who is already serving 2½ years in a penal colony east of Moscow, had been accused of embezzling money that he and his foundation raised over the years and of insulting a judge during a previous trial.
The politician has rejected the allegations as politically motivated. The prosecution had asked for 13 years in a maximum-security prison for the anti-corruption crusader and a 1.2 million-ruble fine.
The trial, which opened about a month ago, unfolded in a makeshift courtroom in the prison colony hours away from Moscow where Navalny is serving a sentence for parole violations. Navalny’s supporters have criticized the authorities’ decision to move the proceedings therefrom a courthouse in Moscow, saying it has effectively limited access to the proceedings for the media and supporters.
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