A Russian court ordered on Monday the opposition leader Alexei Navalny is set to spend 2.5 years behind bars for violating the terms of his probation over a 2014 money laundering case. While the ruling calls for a 3.5-year prison term, the court will shorten the sentence by one year that Navalny had spent under house arrest.
A Moscow court on Tuesday decided that opposition figure Alexei Navalny should face prison time following a tense hearing at a Moscow courthouse. Prosecutors allege he violated the terms of his probation, but Navalny and other government critics see it as a bid to silence the Kremlin opponent.
During the hearing, Navalny said his trial was aimed at making people afraid. He blamed the charges against him on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"This is how it works, they imprison one man, as a means to intimidate millions of people," Navalny said.
On 18 January, the Russian court ruled that the verdict on keeping Navalny in custody for 30 days would remain in force.
Russian law enforcers arrested Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny on 17 January when he arrived at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Navalny was detained when his passport was being checked.
The West condemns Navalny's detention and demands his release.
