Moscow court sentences Putin critic Navalny to 2.5 years in prison
Alexey Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.
A Moscow court jailed Navalny on Tuesday for alleged parole violations after he received a suspended sentence in a 2014 embezzlement case, NBC News reports. Those original charges against him were "widely seen as politically motivated," Axios notes.
Navalny recently returned to Moscow after recovering from a poisoning that he has accused Putin of ordering, which the Kremlin has denied. During a hearing on Tuesday, he delivered a scathing speech, saying Putin will "go down in history as nothing but a poisoner." He also dismissed the charges against him as fabricated and argued that he was detained when he returned to Moscow because "I mortally offended" Putin by surviving the poisoning.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The aim of that hearing is to scare a great number of people," Navalny also said Tuesday, per The Associated Press. "You can't jail the entire country."
Following the sentencing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is "deeply concerned by Russia's actions toward" Navalny, reiterating "our call for his immediate and unconditional release as well as the release of all those wrongfully detained for exercising their rights."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The Vietnamese migrants crossing the Channel
The Explainer 2024 has seen a surge in the numbers of Vietnamese migrants making the illegal passage into the UK
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How to make the most of your leftover pumpkins
The Week Recommends As the Halloween fun wraps up, snap up pumpkins still on sale and don't leave your jack-o-lanterns to rot
By Tess Foley-Cox Published
-
How Harris and Trump differ on education
The Explainer Trump wants to disband the Department of Education. Harris wants to boost teacher pay.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published