Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition figure in Russia who is currently imprisoned, has disclosed that Russian authorities have initiated what he describes as an “absurd” terrorism case against him. This new case could result in an additional 30-year jail sentence for him.
Navalny, a former lawyer and a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, is currently serving a combined sentence of 11-1/2 years for fraud and contempt of court, which he believes were fabricated to silence him.
He made a virtual appearance in a Moscow court on Wednesday, April 26, in connection to a case related to extremism, as reported by Reuters journalists present at the court.
“They have made absurd accusations, according to which I face 30 years in prison,” Navalny stated in a message shared on social media by his supporters.
“I insist that the attempt to close the process is an attempt not just to prevent me from getting acquainted with the case, but it is also an attempt to make sure that no one finds out about it,” he added.
Navalny dismissed the notion of being involved in terrorism while being held in prison, emphasizing that the case would be tried by a military court.
Returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had received treatment following an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent in Siberia, Navalny has claimed that he was targeted for assassination by Russian agents. This assertion has been refuted by the Kremlin.
In April, Russian investigators officially implicated Navalny’s supporters in the killing of Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent military blogger and advocate of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, who was killed by a bomb in St. Petersburg. Navalny’s allies have denied any involvement in the murder.
In a separate development on Wednesday, Russian investigators announced that 11 individuals had been placed on an “international wanted list” in a case related to Navalny, according to state-owned news agency TASS.