Aleksei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure and anti-corruption activist, was unlawfully detained and has been sentenced to 11 years and 6 months -- a term that might be increased after yet more charges. He suffers continual ill-treatment in prison, including constant surveillance and psychological pressure. He must be freed immediately and unconditionally.
In August 2020 while on a trip to Tomsk (South Siberia), Aleksei Navalny was poisoned by a prohibited military grade Novichok nerve agent . Later the same month he was evacuated to Germany for treatment, unconscious and in a critical condition.
Navalny returned to Russia on January 17, 2021 and was immediately taken into custody. A court in Moscow ruled to imprison Aleksei Navalny for 2 years and 6 months for “violating the terms of a suspended sentence” by failing to report to his probation officer while receiving life-saving treatment in Germany.
The Russian authorities didn’t stop there and continued their unlawful prosecution of Aleksei Navalny. In February 2022 he was charged with fraud and in March 2022 sentenced to a nine-year prison term in a strict regime penal colony.
In May 2022 Aleksei Navalny faced new politically motivated charges accusing him of founding an extremist community. If found guilty, Navalny’s detention could be increased by up to 10 years. In October 2022, authorities launched a new criminal investigation against Navalny for allegedly “promoting terrorism,” “funding and promoting extremism” and “rehabilitating Nazism.” In late April 2023, there were reports of new extremism and terrorism charges carrying a potential 30-year sentence – effectively life in prison.
Aleksei Navalny was ill-treated while in detention including sleep deprivation, denial of adequate health care and psychological pressure. In June 2022, he was transferred to the strict regime penal colony, where he said he was kept in a “prison within prison” and forced to work while sitting on a low stool, which risked exacerbating his health problems.
Sign the petition now and urge President Vladimir Putin to use his authority to end the harassment and persecution of Aleksei Navalny and all other critics of the government.