Extended trial of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for alleged defamation of a veteran

Navalny said the defamation case that took place on Friday was an attempt to undermine that domestic support by inciting him against one of Russia’s most valuable generation: veterans of World War II. Navalny accused the state of using 94-year-old veteran Ignat Artemenko, as “a doll on a chain.” The trial, which began on February 5, was due to resume Tuesday. Navalny was sentenced earlier this month to two years in prison. He was in a penal colony for eight months for alleged surveillance violations, but his lawyer said he faces no additional prison sentence for defamation. If found guilty, Navalny is expected to be fined, and even before Friday’s proceedings, Russian state media used the case to attack Navalny’s image. The Sunday show, “Vesti Nedeli,” or “News of the Week,” described Navalny as a Nazi, adding: “Spitting on victory, its victims and their heroism basically became his style.” The defamation case includes a propaganda video that was broadcast in June on the Kremlin’s RT channel to promote the nationwide vote on constitutional changes that would enable Putin to remain in office until 2036. The changes were passed in July, and in the video, Russian celebrities and sports figures supported the amendments. Navalny tweeted that the participants were “traitors”, “people without conscience” and “corrupt followers.” Among them was Artimenko, and the Russian investigation committee said the comments contained “false information intentionally distorting the honor and dignity of a veteran of World War II.” Elena Lukyanova, a law professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, told the Echo of Moscow radio program earlier. This week, “Legally speaking, this is utter nonsense.” “Navalny is absolutely not guilty of anything in front of the veteran because he did not insult the veteran warrior personally,” she said. She added that Navalny’s comments referred to groups of people who had recorded videos in support of the constitutional changes and not any individuals, and at the February 5 hearing, Artemenko, who testified via video link, said he fell ill at some point, and Judge Vera Akimova later reported that he had to summon Ambulance. Artemenko did not appear on Friday, instead making a written statement that blamed Navalny for his “constant insults” on his health. Navalny described the letter as “obvious fraud.” Navalny later told Igor Kolesnikov, Artemenko’s grandson and witness in the case, that he wanted to know how “he ended up on a slippery slope to barter for your grandfather.” Judge Akimova advised Kolesnikov not to answer. While Navalny did so. He said the charges against him were an attempt to silence him and intimidate his supporters, and his repeated appearances in court – this was his fifth since his return to Russia less than a month ago – had given him opportunities to denounce Putin as well as mock the Russian judiciary. the system. Navalny also faces a separate case in which he was charged with embezzlement, with a sentence of up to 10 years, and on Friday he attacked the same amendments that Artemenko had endorsed in June. [RT] Video, it says, “All those who participated in these constitutional changes are agents and traitors,” according to the media in the courtroom. “I think this video is hideous, corrupt, false, and disgusting,” Navalny said. I saw this video and thought, “Oh, Russia today joined the campaign to fool as many Russians as possible by pimping on these people’s faces.” During a break, Navalny asked Prosecutor Yekaterina Frolova how many witnesses she had. four . And you? ”Replied:“ We have the whole world as witnesses to your lies, ”he said, coinciding with this latest case against Navalny, the European Union discussed imposing sanctions on Russia for its treatment of the Kremlin critic. The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the presence of Western diplomats at Navalny’s hearings. Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova This is evidence of an attempt to interfere in Moscow’s affairs. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that “we are ready” to break away from the European Union, according to excerpts from an interview with state media published on the ministry’s website. Once again, as we have felt before on multiple occasions, that sanctions are imposed in certain areas and create risks to our economy, including in the most sensitive areas, then yes. ”We do not want to be isolated from international life, but we must be prepared for that. “.