Moscow court sentences opposition activist Navalny to 19 years

The Moscow City Court sentenced Alexei Navalny to 19 years in prison in the case of establishing an extremist community, TASS reports.

Alexei Navalny is included on the list of terrorists and extremists; the Ministry of Justice included his FBK foundation in the register of organisations performing functions of a foreign agent, it was recognised as an extremist and undesirable organisation the activities of which were banned in Russia.

Under Part 3 of Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia, Navalny was found guilty of financing extremist activities, of making public calls for extremist activities and involving minors in actions that posed danger to their lives.

Navalny will serve his sentence in a special regime colony.

According to the investigation, Navalny created an extremist community no later than in2014. The community worked to undermine state integrity and constitutional order in Russia. To finance the organisation, the community management established eight NGOs with firms and foundations among them.

Alexei Navalny was accused under six articles of the Criminal Code:

• incitement to extremism,
• financing of extremism,
• creation of an extremist community,
• rehabilitation of Nazism,
• involvement of minors in dangerous actions,
• creation of an NGO that infringed on the rights of citizens.

Prosecutors sought 20 years in a special regime colony for Navalny.

A special regime colony is a prison with most stringent conditions of detention in Russia. Special regime colonies usually exist for those sentenced for life or for especially dangerous recidivists who already have at least two convictions under serious articles.