Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has lost his appeal against a 19-year sentence added to his existing jail term.

It was imposed in August after he was convicted on six charges related to alleged extremist activity – which he denied.

The appeal was rejected by a judge in Moscow, with Mr Navalny – wearing a black prison uniform – joining by video link from prison.

Media were not allowed to witness proceedings apart from the reading of the verdict.

The 19-year sentence was imposed on top of 11 and a half years that he was already serving after being convicted of fraud and other charges.

Mr Navalny has said all the charges are politically motivated and an attempt to silence his criticism of President Vladimir Putin‘s repressive regime and the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s penal system is treating Putin’s most vocal critic as cruelly as it can

No surprise that Alexei Navalny should lose this appeal. The Kremlin has no intention of letting him go free, and the judiciary do what they’re told.

His 19-year sentence now goes into effect, which means he will be moved to a special regime colony for the very worst offenders.

He has spent at least 220 days in solitary confinement this past year, without contact from his wife and children for a year and a half, according to his social media posts.

Russia’s penal system is treating him as cruelly as it can, whilst keeping him alive. Remarkably, his spirit is not broken.

There is some reporting around the possibility of Navalny one day being part of a prisoner swap. It is hard to see what Russia would get out of that, but it is not outside the realm of possibility.

For now though, his chances of freedom depend on who lives longer – him or Vladimir Putin.

His political movement has been outlawed and declared “extremist”, with its main players either being jailed or fleeing Russia.

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President Putin makes a point of never referring to Mr Navalny by name as part of an attempt by authorities to portray him as irrelevant.

Image:
Mr Navalny pictured on a video feed at his sentencing in August

The 47-year-old politician returned to the country voluntarily in 2021 after nearly dying when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in a suspected Russian plot.

He was immediately arrested when he landed and is imprisoned in Melekhovo, about 145 miles (235 km) east of Moscow.

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Who is the man some hope will overthrow Putin?

Mr Navalny said in the summer that he had been forced to listen to the same speech by President Putin for more than 100 days in a row.

A TV technician who worked for Mr Navalny, sentenced at the same trial in August, also had his appeal against an eight-year sentence rejected on Tuesday.

Daniel Kholodny shouted “Alexei, see you!” just before the video feed of the hearing ended, with Mr Navalny waving his hand in response.