Former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sentenced to 19 years in prison

A Russian court Friday sentenced former opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 19 years in prison after he was found guilty on a series of new charges including extremism, according to his spokesperson.

In his jail garb, Navalny stood before the judge, grinning and interacting with another prisoner.

Navalny is already serving jail time on embezzlement charges which are regarded as politically motivated according to his friends, AFP reported.

“Alexey Navalny was sentenced to 19 years at a maximum security penal colony,” spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said.

Navalny previously stated that he anticipates a lengthy ruling from a Russian court and referred to his arrest in the nation after returning from Germany — where he was poisoned — as a “Stalinist” new trial.

“It will be a long term. That’s what they call a ‘Stalinist’ term,” Alexei Navalny said in a statement as he was awaiting verdict Friday.

Navalny is currently serving a nine-year sentence for embezzlement whereas the prosecution asked for a 20-year sentence, which his supporters regard as retribution for his political efforts.

The former Russian opposition leader said a heavy sentence’s “main purpose is to intimidate. You, not me”.

Navalny has a huge following on social media, where he has posted videos exposing alleged corruption among the Russian elite and mobilised massive anti-government protests.

He once again called on Russians to fight back against repression.

“When the sentence is announced, please think about only one, really important thought — what else can I personally do to resist?” he said.

“There is no shame in choosing the safest way to resist. There is shame in doing nothing,” he said.

In 2021 his organisation was declared extremist by authorities, putting employees, volunteers and supporters at greater risk of prosecution.