Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to an additional 19 years in a maximum security penal colony.

This sentence was added to his previous jail term, which already totaled 11 and a half years on fraud and other charges that he claims are politically motivated and baseless. Navalny’s political movement has been outlawed and labeled as “extremist” by the authorities.

The charges for which Navalny received this extended sentence include inciting and financing extremist activity, as well as creating an extremist organization, all related to his role in his now defunct movement inside Russia.

The authorities accused his movement of attempting to foment a revolution by destabilizing the socio-political situation.

Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent domestic critic, released a statement through his lawyers and supporters, asserting that he believes he is effectively serving a life sentence.

He accused the authorities of using such harsh sentences to intimidate the Russian people into political submission.

International anger

The verdict has drawn international condemnation from Western countries. The U.S. State Department called it an “unjust conclusion to an unjust trial,” while the European Union decried it as another politically motivated ruling and called for Navalny’s immediate release.

Navalny’s supporters view him as a symbol of resistance against the current Russian regime. He was detained in January 2021 upon returning to Russia from Germany, where he had received treatment for poisoning by a Soviet-era nerve agent.

The Kremlin denies involvement in his poisoning and claims that his case is purely a matter for the courts.

Navalny’s spokeswoman mentioned that he remains cheerful and optimistic despite the lengthy sentence, and there are concerns that he might be transferred to another penal colony with even harsher conditions.

He also faces another criminal case on terrorism charges, which could further prolong his time in prison.