Moscow A Russian court on Thursday upheld the arrest warrant for 30-day opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The court has rejected an appeal for the immediate release of Navalny and ensured that President Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic stays behind bars while his allies – those who have not yet been arrested themselves – plan a new series of mass protests across the country. the weekend.
Thursday’s trial follows a spate of police attacks in dozens of places across Moscow, which detained many of Navalny’s allies and his brother.
Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP
Navalny (44) was detained earlier this month at a Moscow airport immediately after his return from Germany, where he had spent the previous five months recovering from poisoning with the deadly Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. He believe the attack took place in Russia, commissioned by Putin, an allegation denied by the Kremlin.
The opposition politician has been detained on charges of violating the terms of an earlier suspended sentence, following a previous conviction that Navalny was dismissed as politically motivated.
Navalny condemned the criminal proceedings against him as an attempt by the authorities to intimidate him, with the video link of the prison in Moscow.
“A large number of people, tens of millions of people agree with me,” he told the court. “We will never allow these people to take over and steal our land.”
Mstyslav Chernov / AP
He also expressed support for fellow activists who face prosecution since participating in massive, nationwide street protests about his detention last weekend. The court quickly dismissed his appeal against the arrest.
The protests in more than 100 Russian cities last Saturday were not approved by Russian authorities, and police responded by arresting about 3,500 people.
Navalny’s own arrest following the poisoning trial, which left him in a serious condition for weeks, condemned the conviction of senior US and European officials. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week that the United States is “deeply concerned” about Navalny’s security.
“The biggest point is that his voice is the voice of many, many, many Russians, and it should be heard, not muzzled,” Blinken said on Wednesday during his first official briefing, adding that the new Biden government did not rule out do not have. any actions in response.
Navalny’s brother Oleg, as well as his prominent allies Lyubov Sobol and Anastasia Vasilyeva, and Maria Alyokhina, one of the members of the activist Pussy Riot collective, were among those detained Wednesday night in connection with criminal investigations related to the protests. from last weekend.