Separately today, A Russian court sentenced Alexei Navalny, who is
Russia's most prominent opposition figure, 29 years and a maximum
security prison after finding him guilty of embezzling supporters
donations. It's a charge the State Department today labeled spurious
and outlandish. It is Moscow's latest move to crack down on critics.
For more. Here's Nick Schifrin.
For years, Alexey Navalny and his organization have exposed what
they call Vladimir Putin stolen billions, including just yesterday,
a video investigation alleging Putin owns this $700 million yacht.
Navalny has been the target of a long running Kremlin campaign of
harassment, jailing and even poisoning, and today he received the
verdict in prison, where he is already serving a 2.5 year term standing
next to his lawyers in a new tactic, those lawyers were detained
by police after the verdict was handed down.
Earlier we spoke to carry our mush. You know, Balinese spokeswoman
All his case was segregated, and we were able to see it during the
whole trial. So in this case actually was a huge shame for Russian
legal system. But I mean, everyone understands probably that's Russian
legal system.
Is in ruins. Alexi is placing three more criminal cases right now,
so they will be free more trials, so he's total term in prison can
be prolonged for whatever Putin would like it to be wrong. After
being sentenced, Navalny's Twitter Page cited a quotation from the
HBO series the Wire. You only do two days. That's the day you go
in.
The day you come out to discuss this. I'm joined by Alina Polyakova,
president and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis and
an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International
Studies Public over. Welcome back to the News hour. What's your response
to this new sentence against Navalny?
Well, Unfortunately, this was all but predictable. This was a sham
trial under sham, politically motivated charges. Obviously, Putin's
desire is to keep electing the violent behind bars for as long as
possible, and that was really the purpose of
Of this public theater. If you want to call it that it was certainly
not a trial.
I've only spokeswoman today told us that their organization is actually
thriving, but can it really survived being labeled extremist by Russian
authorities?
Well, of course, the last several weeks we've seen a pretty aggressive
crackdown on Russian civil society. Russian journalists independent
media etcetera. The Russian law stipulates that anyone who says anything
disparaging or against the Russian military or who uses the term
war to describe what Russia is, in fact doing in Ukraine could face
up to 15 years.
In jail, so election Nirvana's anti corruption fund. His organization
was really the first victim of what has become a authoritarian regime
of oppression. And what that has meant. The extremist label you mentioned
has basically meant anyone who was associated Alexey Navalny associated
with his organization has become persona non grata.
For the long term and Russia so defacto. The entire operation, which
was spending across Russia has been completely disseminated at this
time, and I hope
There are still individuals involved with and I hope that it's AH
continues to work in some ways, But certainly that has become incredibly
difficult in Russia, if not completely impossible.
Yes, And we've certainly seen members of his organization have to
leave Russia that crackdown you were just talking about the US says
that 15,000 people have been detained since the invasion of Ukraine
and all independent media has been blocked. In addition to all of
the rules, about the words that people inside Russia are allowed
and not to use about the war in Ukraine, just talk again about how
little freedom of speech there exists today in Russia.
Well, very, very Unfortunately for I think first and foremost, the
Russian people there is a new Iron curtain has descended over Russia
as a result of what we now see as a dictatorial regime under under
President Putin.
We now have a situation where most Western social media has been
ban or labeled extremists as Meta or Facebook was just recently.
The others that are still off putting in Russia really think it's
just inevitable in a matter of days before they're shut down, and
we've seen completely frankly absurd footage of people going on the
street, we blank pieces of paper and being arrested just for holding
a white sheet of paper up. This is how extreme brutal and repressive
the situation is.
So, of course, the costs.
Of saying anything against the government of going on. The streets
are so extremely high in Russia today, the very few people are willing
to take that risk. And I think it's important to note that a lot
of these new rules are really
Ah, targeting the young Russians because if you are arrested in one
of these demonstrations or holding up, why should have paper that
can really affect your life. Chances for the long dream may not be
able to attend university. You may be fired from your job, so the
consequences and the costs are so high that defacto Russia is nearing
Something like North Korea at this point when it comes to freedom
of speech and expression, defector that no longer exists in Russia
today in a real substantive way.
We've certainly seen a lot of young people leave Russia the US response
to Russia to be able to punish Moscow. The Kremlin has, of course
been a series of sanctions and export controls between the US and
its allies. Do you believe that those sanctions those export controls
in any way threaten Putin's hold on power?
Well, it is early to say I mean, these sanctions have all been implemented
the last several weeks since Putin made the decision to launch a
war against Ukraine. Certainly they are already having an immediate
effect. We're seeing that in terms of food shortages inside of Russia,
the crash of the ruble, the Russian stock exchange, not opening opening
and very limited way for fears of a complete collapse, But sanctions
have a way of taking a long time to work.
And so far, we haven't seen any dissent among the elite. The so called
oligarchs close to Putin has seen many other yachts being confiscated,
of course and other properties and assets being frozen. But as far
as we can tell, that hasn't led to some sort of at least public disagreement
or some sort of palace coup against the regime. Right now, it seems
that the elite is standing by Putin.
Because he holds a huge amount of leverage over these individuals.
Their entire wealth depends on him and his favor. Um and that has
been the reality for a very long time, so it's very hard to see how
or if that will change in the longer term.