Navalny back in court

Moscow: Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny returned to court yesterday for a trial on slander changes he calls politically motivated.

Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, was jailed this month for almost three years for parole violations he said were trumped up. The West has condemned the case and is discussing possible sanctions on

Russia.

In the slander case, Navalny is accused of defaming a World War 2 veteran who took part in a promotional video backing constitutional reforms last year that let Putin run for two more terms after 2024 if he wants.

Navalny described the people in the video as traitors and corrupt lackeys. He accuses authorities of using the slander charges to smear his reputation.

Although the slander charge, if proven, is punishable by up to two years in jail, his lawyer said Navalny cannot face a custodial sentence because the alleged crime was committed before the law was changed to make it a jailable offence. — Reuters