DISINFO: Navalny is a common criminal, not political prisoner
SUMMARY
We are not going to put anyone in any exclusive conditions, including those who hide behind political activities. Navalny is in prison not for his political activities, but for criminal offences, including against foreign entrepreneurs in Russia.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation aimed at discrediting Aleksei Navalny.
The European Court of Human Rights, in the judgement Navalnyy v Russia issued on 17 October 2017, ruled that the conviction of Aleksei Navalnyy for commercial fraud was based on an unforeseeable application of criminal law. The court ruled that a violation of Article 7 (no punishment without law) of the European Convention on Human Rights and a violation of Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) had taken place.
The case concerned the complaint by Aleksey Navalnyy, a Russian opposition leader, and his brother Oleg Navalnyy, an entrepreneur, that their criminal conviction for fraud and money laundering was based on an unforeseeable application of criminal law and that the proceedings were arbitrary and unfair.
Background:
The Russian administration refused to register the political party of Navalny several times since 2012 and started several new proceedings against him after imprisoning him in 2021, following his return to Russia after having recovered from being poisoned with nerve agent Novichok, as confirmed by the OPCW.
Read the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the deteriorating health of Alexei Navalny here.