Russian dissident Navalny says he faces new terrorism probe
Moscow, Apr 26 (EFE).- Alexei Navalny, the jailed critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, said Wednesday that the authorities had opened a fresh case against him, this time on terrorism charges that could see him sentenced to 30 more years in prison.
“The investigator told me that a new case on terrorism had been opened separately against me and that a military court would be hearing the case,” Navalny said on a screen via video link at a court hearing in Moscow.
Navalny’s statement came during a closed hearing at the Basmanny court, which is expected to rule on a motion filed by investigators to limit the time granted to the dissident’s legal team to examine the case’s materials.
“They have made absurd accusations, according to which I face 30 years in prison,” the vocal critic was quoted as saying by his team.
The terrorism charges are separate from the case into extremism that is linked to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) that he founded.
According to Navalny, the terrorism charges are related to when Navalny’s ally, Leonid Volkov, said that Putin should “stand trial as a terrorist.”
Investigations have also included the murder case of popular pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky who died in a bomb blast in a St. Petersburg cafe last month, but Navalny has denied any links to the attack.
During the hearing, Navalny said that he does not have enough time to review the extremism case’s 195 volumes because he is either in solitary confinement or working in prison.
Eleven people have been put on an international wanted list in the extremism case, a Russian investigator said, according to RIA Novosti news agency.
Navalny faces many open cases against him on charges including propagating extremism, inciting terrorism and rehabilitating Nazism.
Several opponents believe that Navalny, who was a staunch critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will not leave prison as long as Putin is in power.
The 46-year-old’s health has been deteriorating in prison, according to his team.EFE
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