Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 19 years of special regime

Russian politician Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to 19 years in a special regime colony by the Moscow City Court in a classified "extremist" case. The trial began on June 19 and lasted only a month, with all meetings held behind closed doors. The prosecutor had requested an additional 20 years of special regime imprisonment for Navalny, who is already serving a nine-year sentence in a fraud case. Special regime colonies are known for their severe conditions and are usually reserved for those sentenced to life imprisonment or those with a "particularly dangerous relapse of crimes."

In the "extremist" case, Navalny faced charges under several articles of the Criminal Code, including the creation of an extremist community. The Russian authorities consider his Anti-Corruption Fund to be an "extremist community." He was also accused of calling for extremism, participating in extremist activities, creating NGOs that infringe on citizens' rights, financing extremism, involving teenagers in dangerous acts, and rehabilitating Nazism.

Navalny's trial was held behind closed doors, with a total of 16 off-site meetings taking place without public scrutiny. Another person involved in the case, Daniel Kholodny, the former technical director of the YouTube channel "Navalny LIVE," faced a request from the prosecutor for 10 years in a general regime colony, but the exact verdict for him is yet to be confirmed due to poor audio quality during the proceedings.

Navalny's associates shared his last words, in which he quoted literary critic Yuri Lotman, emphasizing the importance of conscience and intelligence in decision-making. Navalny's team expects him to be assigned to the second category in special regime colonies, as he has faced episodes in the "extremist" case that relate to the time when he was already serving a sentence.

This is the third term for Navalny in recent years, and he has been transferred between different regime colonies. His case has garnered significant attention and concern both within Russia and internationally, as Navalny is a prominent opposition figure in the country.