Navalny sent to prison outside Moscow after court calls for release

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sent to a prison outside Moscow to serve his sentence, his lawyer said.

The move comes despite a demand by Europe’s top human rights court for his release.

His lawyer, Vadim Kobzev, did not say what prison he was sent to.

Russian news reports have previously indicated Mr Navalny, who has been held in a maximumsecurity jail in Moscow, would likely be sent to a facility in western Russia.

Mr Navalny, 44, is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vociferous foe.

He was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusation and accused him of co-operating with Western intelligence agencies – claims he has ridiculed.

Earlier this month, Mr Navalny was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for violating the terms of his probation while convalescing in Germany.

The sentence stems from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Mr Navalny has rejected as fabricated and which the European Court of Human Rights has ruled to be unlawful.

Mr Navalny’s arrest has fuelled protests that drew tens of thousands to the streets across Russia. Authorities have detained about 11,000 people, with many fined or jailed.

Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers agreed new sanctions against Russian officials linked to Mr Navalny’s jailing.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after a court hearing.