02:59Moscow’s Babushkinsky district court on Thursday rejected an appeal from opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s lawyers to overturn an earlier ruling in which he was found guilty of defaming a war veteran.
Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova spoke to journalists outside the court, maintaining that the anti-corruption campaigner should have been acquitted.
“Considering the number of violations made by the court of the first instance and the fact that there is no defamation in the case, of course, the legal decision should be a cancellation of the ruling and acquittal of Navalny,” Mikhailova commented.
In February the opposition figure was fined 850,000 roubles (€9,440; $11,440) for slandering WWII veteran Ignat Artyomenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year. Navalny has said the charges are politically motivated.
He himself appeared via video link for the hearing, seen in public for the first time since ending his three-week hunger strike.
Lawyer Mikhailova said that Navalny has just started eating again and looked “pretty energetic” during the hearing.
Navalny is currently in jail serving a two-year and eight-month jail term for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence handed to him in 2014.
Russia: Navalny’s lawyer comments after court upholds defamation conviction
Moscow’s Babushkinsky district court on Thursday rejected an appeal from opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s lawyers to overturn an earlier ruling in which he was found guilty of defaming a war veteran.
Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova spoke to journalists outside the court, maintaining that the anti-corruption campaigner should have been acquitted.
“Considering the number of violations made by the court of the first instance and the fact that there is no defamation in the case, of course, the legal decision should be a cancellation of the ruling and acquittal of Navalny,” Mikhailova commented.
In February the opposition figure was fined 850,000 roubles (€9,440; $11,440) for slandering WWII veteran Ignat Artyomenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year. Navalny has said the charges are politically motivated.
He himself appeared via video link for the hearing, seen in public for the first time since ending his three-week hunger strike.
Lawyer Mikhailova said that Navalny has just started eating again and looked “pretty energetic” during the hearing.
Navalny is currently in jail serving a two-year and eight-month jail term for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence handed to him in 2014.
Moscow’s Babushkinsky district court on Thursday rejected an appeal from opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s lawyers to overturn an earlier ruling in which he was found guilty of defaming a war veteran.
Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova spoke to journalists outside the court, maintaining that the anti-corruption campaigner should have been acquitted.
“Considering the number of violations made by the court of the first instance and the fact that there is no defamation in the case, of course, the legal decision should be a cancellation of the ruling and acquittal of Navalny,” Mikhailova commented.
In February the opposition figure was fined 850,000 roubles (€9,440; $11,440) for slandering WWII veteran Ignat Artyomenko, who spoke in favour of Russia’s constitutional amendments last year. Navalny has said the charges are politically motivated.
He himself appeared via video link for the hearing, seen in public for the first time since ending his three-week hunger strike.
Lawyer Mikhailova said that Navalny has just started eating again and looked “pretty energetic” during the hearing.
Navalny is currently in jail serving a two-year and eight-month jail term for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence handed to him in 2014.