{"id":49701,"date":"2013-07-18T12:09:14","date_gmt":"2013-07-18T11:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/?p=49701"},"modified":"2015-02-05T10:36:20","modified_gmt":"2015-02-05T10:36:20","slug":"russian-opposition-leader-sentenced-to-five-years-in-penal-colony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/newsite02may\/?p=49701","title":{"rendered":"US and UK condemn Navalny conviction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Alexei

Alexei Navalny addresses a rally (Pic: Roma Yandolin\/Demotix)<\/p><\/div>\n

The American ambassador to Russia and the British Foreign Secretary have reacted strongly after a Kirov court today sentenced<\/a> Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to five years in a penal colony, Sara Yasin reports<\/strong>
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\nThe anti-corruption campaigner and blogger has been charged with\u00a0embezzling 16 million roubles (\u00a3330,000) from a state-owned timber company in 2009.<\/p>\n

The activist also filed to run<\/a> for Moscow’s mayor on Wednesday, but his conviction will disqualify him for the race. However, Navalny will not<\/a>\u00a0be<\/a> formally removed from the race until the ruling goes into effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Navalny has insisted<\/a> that the charges are politically motivated, as he has been a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party. The 37-year-old was also one of the prominent voices of the country’s historic mass protests<\/a> against Putin last year.<\/p>\n

The court has dismissed allegations that the charges were political, but critics have insisted that it is politically motivated, including US Ambassador Michael McFaul:<\/p>\n

We are deeply disappointed in the conviction of @Navalny<\/a> and the apparent political motivations in this trial.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 18, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also voiced concerns:<\/p>\n

Concerned by conviction of Alexei Navalny, selective justice in #Russia<\/a> and lack of adherence to international human rights obligations<\/p>\n

\u2014 William Hague (@WilliamJHague) July 18, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n