Alexey Navalny’s new felony trial scheduled to begin May 31. Prosecution may seek 30-year sentence for jailed politician.
The first hearing in a new criminal case against the imprisoned Russian politician Alexey Navalny has been scheduled for May 31, according to Navalny’s social media accounts.
Navalny says the prosecution has presented him with 3,828 pages of documents, which describe the alleged “crimes he committed while already in prison.”
Because Navalny is (once again) in a penal cell, his is restricted even in his right to review the charges.
What is Navalny accused of now?
According to the politician’s press secretary Kira Yarmysh, the May 31 hearing will consider the charges of “extremism” that Navalny allegedly engaged in while in custody. The prosecution may seek up to a 30-year sentence.
Navalny was jailed in early 2021. At first, he was due to be freed in the summer of 2023, but while in custody he was accused of defamation, fraud, and contempt for the court. In March 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.