A Russian judge has declared opposition leader Alexei Navalny guilty of fraud and contempt of court and sentenced him to nine additional years in prison in a trial denounced by human rights groups as a politically motivated sham. Navalny is Vladimir Putin’s best-known domestic critic. He has been jailed since last year at a penal colony east of Moscow, after he survived a nerve agent attack in 2020. The Kremlin denied involvement in the assassination attempt. Navalny’s spokesperson said the guilty verdict was expected.

Kira Yarmysh: “This is not a surprise that Putin would like to keep Alexei in prison for as long as he is in power. We are completely sure that this is his direct order to imprison Alexei.”