Court in Moscow sentences Yulia Navalnaya in absentia, wants her abroad
A court in Moscow has sentenced Yulia Navalnaya in absentia. The widow of Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian penal colony, is accused of alleged involvement in an extremist community. Furthermore, Navalnaya has been placed on the international wanted list.
The Basmanny District Court in Moscow has arrested Yulia Navalnaya in absentia. She has been charged under the article concerning participation in an extremist community.
The press stated that Yulia Navalnaya allegedly "hid from investigative authorities and therefore is on the wanted list".
The press service reported Navalnaya's in absentia arrest immediately after the end of the workday. The Moscow courts' website does not provide information about the hearing. "This means that information about it was deliberately hidden so that no one could observe the proceedings," notes the independent Russian Mediazona.
The court does not disclose details of the charges against Navalnaya. After the death of Alexei Navalny in the penal colony, Julia announced that she would continue her husband's work.
Navalnaya is currently abroad. The in absentia arrest means that if she crosses the Russian border, the authorities will be able to detain the widow of Alexei Navalny immediately.
The death of Alexei Navalny
Information about the death of Alexei Navalny spread around the world in mid-February 2024.
"Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle," Reuters reported, citing the Russian prison service. The opposition leader was serving a long-term prison sentence there.
Navalny's death occurred a month before the presidential elections in Russia. The opposition leader - due to serving his sentence - did not actively participate in them.
How much Putin feared Alexei Navalny is evident by the fact that only after his death and the staged election farce for the first time did he mention the deceased opposition leader by name. The dictator appeared at the Central Election Commission headquarters on Sunday evening, just four hours after the polling stations closed (GMT).
- Yes, he died. It's always a sad event. We had other cases where people died. Didn't this happen in the USA? - babbled Putin, confirming that a few days before the politician's death, he had "agreed to exchange Navalny to the West."
Vast crowds of Russians attended Navalny's funeral. The opposition leader's grave literally "disappeared" under a mountain of flowers. Russians stood in line for several hours to pay their respects to the deceased politician.
If you want to defeat Putin, you have to be innovative. You won't defeat Putin with more sanctions - Julia Navalnaya said in the European Parliament after her husband's death. - Putin is a bloody gangster. Putin is the head of an organised criminal gang - she added. Her speech was met with thunderous applause.
