Navalny defiant as court rejects bid for freedom
A Russian court yesterday rejected an appeal by opposition leader Alexei Navalny for his release from jail, while authorities detained several of his allies and warned social-media companies about promoting more protests after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend demanding his freedom.
Appearing in court by video link from jail, Navalny denounced the criminal proceedings against him as part of a government campaign to intimidate the opposition.
“You won’t succeed in scaring tens of millions of people who have been robbed by that government,” he said. “Yes, you have the power now to put me in handcuffs, but it’s not going to last forever.”
The 44-year-old Navalny, the bestknown critic of President Vladimir Putin’s government, was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.
Navalny was arrested and jailed for 30 days after Russia’s prison service alleged he had violated the probation terms of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as politically motivated. He also faces accusations in two separate criminal probes.
Before the Moscow Region Court rejected his appeal, defence lawyers argued that while recovering in Germany from the poisoning, Navalny could not register with authorities as required by the terms of his probation. His lawyers also said Navalny’s due process rights were repeatedly violated during his arrest.
Navalny described his jailing following an earlier hearing held at a police station as a mockery of justice.
“It was demonstrative lawlessness intended to scare me and all others,” he told the Moscow court.
Navalny’s supporters are organising another round of rallies for Monday. Police on Thursday searched Navalny’s apartment, a rented accommodation where his wife, Yulia, has been living, and the residences of several of his associates and supporters.
Also detained were Navalny’s brother, Oleg; his top ally, Lyubov Sobol; Oleg Stepanov, head of Navalny’s Moscow office; Dr Anastasia Vasilyeva from the Navalny backed Alliance of Doctors; and Maria Alyokhina from the Pussy Riot punk collective.
They were detained for 48 hours as part of a criminal probe into alleged violations of coronavirus regulations during last week’s protests.
Demonstrations urging Navalny’s release took place in more than 100 Russian cities last week, in a strong show of rising anger toward the Kremlin.
Nearly 4000 people were reportedly detained at the protests, some given fines and jail terms.