Russian Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Convicted of Fraud, Facing up to a 13-year Prison Sentence

Mar 22, 2022 • Longtime Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of fraud and embezzlement charges, as well as contempt of court, according to a verdict handed down on Tuesday. He faces up to a 13-year prison sentence. Navalny and his supporters have decried the charges as politically motivated. Navalny is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges he says were trumped up to thwart his attempts to run for office. Both Navalny and rights groups have said he has been tortured in prison.

Who is Alexei Navalny?

Frustrated with the corruption in the Russian government, Navalny co-founded the Russia of the Future party nearly a decade ago to oppose President Vladimir Putin's United Russia. He amassed a major following on social media, and has been arrested multiple times during anti-government protests. In August 2020, Navalny was the target of suspected assassination attempt when he was poisoned with Novichok nerve agent. He spent a month recovering in a Berlin hospital. Since his arrest, many of his closest allies have left Russia after facing multiple criminal charges. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of nearly 40 regional offices were outlawed as "extremist" and Navalny has been added to an official list of terrorists.