Russian Court Rejects Navalny's Appeal

A judge announced that a court in Moscow rejected today, Tuesday, the appeal of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a previous ruling sentencing him to 19 years in prison, issued last month after an earlier conviction. The latest ruling was made on August 4, following Navalny's conviction on six charges related to alleged extremist activities, which the Russian opposition figure denied. A judge in Moscow dismissed the appeal at the end of a session in which Navalny participated via video link. The media was only allowed to attend the session during the announcement of the verdict, despite objections from Navalny and his lawyer. This latest ruling follows another sentence of 11 and a half years that Navalny is already serving in IK-6 penal colony in Melekhovo, about 235 kilometers east of Moscow, for fraud and other charges he denies, considering them politically motivated aimed at silencing him from criticizing President Vladimir Putin. Navalny (47 years old) is the most notable figure among divided Russian opposition figures, with his supporters comparing him to Nelson Mandela, believing he will one day be released from prison to lead the country.