Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny expressed concerns on Wednesday that investigators have opened what he described as an "absurd" case against him on terrorism charges that could lead to a sentence of another 30 years in prison. Navalny stated that it was ridiculous to accuse him of terrorism while he is in prison. He noted that the case would be reviewed by a military court.
Navalny, a former lawyer who gained notoriety for mocking President Vladimir Putin's elite and claiming widespread corruption, is currently serving an 11.5-year sentence on charges of fraud and contempt of court, which he says are fabricated to silence him.
Reuters reporters at the court said that the 46-year-old opposition leader appeared via video link in a Moscow court on Wednesday in a case related to extremism, wearing a black prison uniform and looking frail. This was his first public appearance since supporters stated earlier this month that he was suffering from stomach pains that might be caused by slow-acting poison.
It remains unclear what the terrorism case specifically involves, but the Russian Federal Security Service stated that opposition figures from both Ukraine and Russia, part of a group founded by Navalny, were behind the death of a prominent pro-war blogger in a café in St. Petersburg.
