During the opening of a new fraud trial that may extend his prison term by more than a decade, imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny said he would continue to challenge Russia’s leadership.
Navalny smiled and embraced his wife as he appeared via video link at the start of the hearing Tuesday, wearing a prison uniform and flanked by guards in the makeshift court inside his jail colony.
Navalny’s release was demanded by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said he was “troubled” by “dubious new charges” against him.
“Navalny and his associates are targeted for their work to shine a light on official corruption,” Blinken tweeted.
“This time, he goes to trial in a penal colony, out of public view. Russian authorities should release Aleksei Navalny and end their harassment and prosecution of his supporters.”
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed the latest case was “incompatible” with the rule of law during a press conference un Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After surviving a poison attack that he and Washington blame on the Kremlin, the 45-year-old opposition leader has already spent a year in prison.
He is now serving a two-and-a-half-year term for embezzlement, but the new allegations could drastically lengthen his sentence.
“You’re going to increase my term indefinitely. What can we do about it?” Navalny said during the court hearing.
“The activities of people are more important than the fate of one individual. I’m not afraid.”
The current investigation began in December 2020, while Navalny was recovering in Germany after being poisoned by a Soviet-designed toxin. Russian authorities have denied any participation on numerous occasions.
