Imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny announced he has been slapped with additional charges related to extremism, which could see an extra 30 years added onto his sentence.
In a Twitter thread from his verified account, apparently managed by his lawyers or allies, Navalny said prosecutors were bringing new charges against him for allegedly promoting terrorism and “rehabilitating” Nazism. His lawyers estimate the cumulative total sentence of the charges, if he is convicted, is approximately three decades.
“I am a genius of the underworld. Professor Moriarty is no match for me. You all thought I had been isolated in prison for two years, but it turns out I was actively committing crimes. Luckily, the Investigative Committee was vigilant and didn’t miss a thing,” he joked.
PUTIN RIVAL ALEXEI NAVALNY MOVED TO MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON
Prosecutors allege that while in prison, Navalny “Promoted and called for terrorism, Publicly called for extremism, Financed extremist activities, [and] Rehabilitated Nazism.”
2/8 I received an official notification that a new criminal case was opened against me due to the fact that I, while in prison:
– Promoted and called for terrorism
– Publicly called for extremism
– Financed extremist activities
– Rehabilitated Nazism.— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) October 20, 2022
“Isn’t it awesome? Rarely has a criminal done as much on the outside as I have done while behind bars,” he added.
Navalny was imprisoned almost immediately after returning to Russia in January 2021, following a brief stint in Germany, where he was being treated following a poisoning, which he accuses the Kremlin of ordering. In addition to his original two-and-a-half-year sentence, he was convicted to another nine years in prison this March on fraud charges. Navalny, Russia’s primary opposition leader who has spent much of his career attempting to expose corruption in the Kremlin, claims that the charges are a sham, made to shut him up.
The specifics of his new charges were not immediately provided, though they are likely related to his outspoken support of Ukraine, which the Russian government has repeatedly described as having a “neo-Nazi” government. Russia has been engaged in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February.
Navalny’s “rehabilitation of Nazism” charge is likely tied to his support, among his other extremist-related charges. Navalny, for his part, claims that the rehabilitation of Nazism charge stems from his support for his chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, who the opposition leader says is being slandered as a Nazi.
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In June, Navalny was moved to an infamous maximum security prison 250 miles east of Moscow, Penal Colony No. 6 (IK-6), a strict prison known for its abuse of inmates, according to his press secretary.
