Moscow City Court rejected on Tuesday an appeal filed by Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s legal team. They challenged a March sentence by the Lefortovo District Court on fraud and contempt of court charges.
The ruling means that Navalny, who is already serving a prison term, can be transferred to a penitentiary with higher security, as ordered in his sentence. His previous punishment was two years and eight months of detention at a low-security prison.
In March, a court found him guilty of defrauding donors to his political campaigns and insulting a judge during a previous trial. The sentence provided for a new nine-year prison term to be served concurrently with the one already imposed. The court also ordered a fine and an 18-month probation period after his release.
Navany’s legal team appealed the decision, claiming that their client was not guilty in the first place and that the sentence was unlawful.
The veteran opposition figure was imprisoned under a separate case involving fraud against the French company Yves Rocher, in which he was originally sentenced to a suspended term. He was put behind bars after violating the term of his parole.
Navalny said he could not meet the requirements due to an alleged assassination attempt against him, which he blamed on the Russian government. He was flown to Germany from Russia in August 2020 after an alleged poisoning episode.
Moscow denies pursuing a vendetta against the opposition activist and claims that he’s been used by foreign adversaries to tarnish Russia’s reputation.