Navalny: The goal of my trial is to intimidate millions of Russians

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny said today that his court appearance represents an attempt to "intimidate millions" of Russians and again accused President Vladimir Putin of ordering his poisoning.

"The most important thing in this trial is to intimidate a huge number of people. Lock up one to intimidate millions," Navalny said.

 Navalny (44) was brought before the court today for violating his probation when he was urgently transferred to Germany for treatment last summer, and faces a sentence of two and a half years in prison.

The Russian opposition figure was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok, for which he blamed the Kremlin. Russian authorities deny these accusations.

Recalling that thousands of demonstrators demanding his release were arrested over the past two weekends, Navalny expressed hope that more and more people will realize that "locking up millions or hundreds of thousands of people is impossible."

"When they realize that, and that moment will come, you will not be able to lock up the entire country," he said.

Navalny again accused the Russian president of ordering his poisoning last summer.

"We have shown and proven that Putin through the FSB (Federal Security Service) attempted murder, and I am not his only victim. Many now know this, others will find out, and it drives this little man in the bunker crazy," Navalny said.