Court suspends Navalny sentence
- 11 years ago
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny walks free.
He was sentenced to five years in jail for embezzlement in July but released pending the appeal.
An appeals court on Wednesday upheld his conviction for theft but his sentence was suspended.
He has always denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
The conviction will prevent Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, from seeking office for years.
He says he will appeal.
Jailing Navalny would have increased the risk of more opposition protests against Putin...and further damage to the president's image in the West as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in February.
He was sentenced to five years in jail for embezzlement in July but released pending the appeal.
An appeals court on Wednesday upheld his conviction for theft but his sentence was suspended.
He has always denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
The conviction will prevent Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, from seeking office for years.
He says he will appeal.
Jailing Navalny would have increased the risk of more opposition protests against Putin...and further damage to the president's image in the West as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in February.