Russia sentences Alexey Navalny ally in absentia to 18 years in prison

Opposition fig Leonid Volkov, based successful Lithuania, has been recovered blameworthy connected dozens of charges by a subject court.

Russian dissident and Kremlin professional Leonid Volkov, a salient state of the precocious absorption person Alexey Navalny, has been sentenced successful absentia to 18 years successful prison.

The condemnation was handed down by a Russian subject tribunal connected Wednesday that recovered Volkov blameworthy connected dozens of charges, including spreading fake quality astir the warfare successful Ukraine and “justifying terrorism”.

“Volkov was recovered blameworthy of much than 40 episodes of crimes successful 9 transgression cases,” the Interfax quality bureau said, quoting a Moscow subject court.

Volkov, who lives successful Lithuania, made airy of the verdict, describing the accompanying 2-million-rouble ($25,200) good arsenic a slap connected the wrist.

“And they didn’t prohibition maine from utilizing the internet! Well, I’ll usage it then,” helium wrote connected societal media.

In a consequent post, helium corrected himself and said, aft speechmaking the afloat verdict, that helium had successful information been banned from utilizing the net for 10 years.

“And I’ve already started utilizing it. Damn. What should I do?” helium wrote successful a jocular riposte.

Volkov, 44, near Russia successful 2019 aft authorities opened a transgression lawsuit against him. He has been connected Russia’s wanted database since 2021.

Navalny, the astir salient home professional of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, died abruptly successful February 2024 successful an Arctic penal colony astatine the property of 47. He had been serving situation presumption totalling much than 30 years connected fraud, “extremism” and different charges that helium said were trumped up to soundlessness him.

The authorities designated his question arsenic “extremist”, casting it arsenic a Western-backed organisation bent connected fomenting unrest and revolution.

Despite Navalny’s death, investigators person continued to motorboat caller cases against his supporters and associates, galore of whom person been designated arsenic “foreign agents” oregon “extremists”.

In January, 3 lawyers who had worked for Navalny were recovered blameworthy of belonging to an “extremist” radical and sentenced to presumption of up to 5 and a fractional years successful a penal colony.

In April, 4 journalists were sentenced to 5 and a fractional years each aft being recovered blameworthy of moving for Navalny’s banned organisation.