Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny faces eight years in prison. The Russian court on Tuesday rejected his appeal and upholds the earlier sentence. Navalny had already been convicted in March for embezzling donations.

 

President Vladimir Putin’s main opponent appealed because he felt it was a political process and he did nothing wrong. Navalny was present in the courtroom in Moscow via video link.

Apart from his own lawsuit, he spoke out about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He called it a “stupid war”, and does not understand what Putin wants to achieve. According to Navalny, the Russian president is a madman who “built the war on lies”.

The Kremlin critic is currently serving a 2.5-year prison sentence. That sentence is replaced by a new sentence of nine years, less the time he has already served. Navalny now also has to go to a stricter penal colony, where he can have less contact with the outside world.

There, for example, he is less able to speak out about the situation in Ukraine. Navalny turned against the war on the first day and called for protest several times.