Alexei Navalny, the charismatic Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic who exposed high-level corruption, has been found guilty of embezzlement from French cosmetics company Yves Rocher and handed a 3.5 year suspended jail term.
A Moscow court handed down the ruling Monday morning local time. Meanwhile, his brother, Oleg, received 3.5 years of hard time in a Russian prison in a move Navalny and his supporters likened to "hostage taking."
The verdict was originally scheduled to be read on Jan. 15, but it was moved forward to Tuesday “because the verdict is already ready,” a spokesperson for the court said on Monday. Read more...
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