Imprisoned Russian leader Alexei Navalny stands trial this week. The trial outcome could keep him behind bars for decades. Still, the intrepid Navalny urges a campaign against Moscow.
Navalny’s trial began inside a prison exile colony 150 miles east of Moscow. Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence there for fraud and contempt of court. He claims the charges are politically motivated.
Russian prosecutor Nadezhda Tikhonova asked the judge to conduct the trial behind closed doors. She cited security concerns.
Navalny and his lawyers urged the judge to hold an open trial. They argued that authorities want to quash details of the proceedings to cover up the weakness of the case.
The judge agreed with the prosecutor, and reporters left the premises. Journalists must watch the trial via video feed.
Navalny’s parents aren’t allowed in court either. They will follow the hearing remotely. Asked about the decision to close the trial, Navalny’s father, Anatoly, told reporters it showed “the utter lack of shame, conscience, and dignity.”
Russia’s state news agencies and other media reported on Navalny’s trial. But the most-watched government TV stations didn’t cover it.
Navalny’s allies posted a statement on social media. In it, Navalny declared that the closed trial was a sign of fear by President Vladimir Putin. He also announced a campaign to “combat Putin’s lies and the Kremlin’s hypocrisy” regarding Russian troops in Ukraine.
Navalny recognizes Russia’s crackdown on opposition. But he believes an anti-Kremlin campaign could take place using messaging apps outside the government’s control.
“No one but us could enter this fight for our citizens’ hearts and minds, so we need to do it and win,” he says.
Navalny has exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Moscow after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning. He and many others blame his illness on the Kremlin.
Wearing prison garb, Navalny looked gaunt at trial. But he spoke forcefully about the weakness of the state’s case and gestured forcefully. He rejects the new charges against him as “absurd.” They relate to the activities of Navalny’s anti-corruption group and statements by his top allies. If convicted, the charges could keep him in prison for 30 years.
An investigator has also informed Navalny of a separate trial on terrorism charges. Those potentially carry a life sentence.
Navalny has spent months in a tiny, one-person “punishment cell.” His offenses included alleged failures to properly button his prison clothes, properly introduce himself to a guard, or to wash his face at a certain time.
Supporters accuse prison authorities of failing to provide Navalny with proper medical assistance. They also voice concern about his health.
In Berlin, the German government criticized the trial. Officials call for Navalny’s immediate release.
Reporters asked Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner whether Germany could provide any assistance to Navalny or observe the trial. Wagner says German officials are doing what they can “on the few channels that we have.” But he acknowledges it is “very difficult at the moment” given the current state of relations with Russia.
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. — Proverbs 28:1
