Moscow court rejects appeal of opposition figure Navalny

(Patria) - A Moscow court today rejected the appeal of opposition politician Alexei Navalny after consideration.

The Kremlin critic was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for violating a suspended sentence, and now faces a trial for slandering a World War II veteran.

Russian authorities previously rejected a request from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to release Navalny, stating that it had no "legal basis" and constituted "gross interference" in Russia's internal affairs.

The ECHR had submitted the request, citing a risk to his life.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon his return to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering for months from poisoning with a nerve agent. His arrest triggered protests across Russia, which ended with the arrest of around 11,000 people.