A Moscow court on Saturday rejected Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s appeal against his prison sentence, even as the country faced a top European rights court’s order to free the Kremlin’s most prominent foe.
A lower court sentenced Navalny earlier this month to two years and eight months in prison for violating terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusation.
Navalny appealed the sentence at Moscow City Court on Saturday.
Speaking before the verdict, Navalny referenced the Bible as well as “Harry Potter” and the animated sitcom “Rick and Morty” as he urged Russians to resist pressure from the authorities and challenge the Kremlin to build a fairer and more prosperous country.
“The government’s task is to scare you and then persuade you that you are alone,” he said. “Our Voldemort in his palace also wants me to feel cut off,” he added, in a reference to Putin.
“To live is to risk it all,” he continued. “Otherwise, you’re just an inert chunk of randomly assembled molecules drifting wherever the universe blows you.”
Navalny also addressed the judge and the prosecutor; arguing that they could have a much better life in a new Russia.
“Just imagine how wonderful life would be without constant lying,” he said. “Imagine how great it would be to work as a judge when no one would be able to call you and give you directions on what verdicts to issue.”
However, The Moscow City Court’s judge only slightly reduced his sentence to just over 2 1/2 years in prison, ruling that a month-and-half of Navalny spent under house arrest in early 2015 will be deducted from his sentence.
Navalny responded sarcastically to the ruling, which paves the way for him to be transferred from an infamous Moscow jail to a prison camp. “They’ve reduced the sentence by 1.5 months. Great!” he said from a courtroom glass cage.
Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova petitioned the court to release her client immediately; as demanded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Mikhailova argued that Navalny’s life and health were in danger while in detention.
Navalny, 44, an anti-corruption crusader and President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic.
His arrest and imprisonment have fueled a huge wave of protests across Russia. Authorities responded with a sweeping crackdown; detaining about 11,000 people, many of whom were fined or given jail terms ranging from seven to 15 days.