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Russia's main opposition leader found 'guilty'

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U

ultratruman

Banned
r
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A Russian judge said on Wednesday that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was guilty of embezzlement, Interfax news agency reported, a decision that may force the activist to drop his plan to run in next year's presidential election.

The judge at the court in the city of Kirov was still reading his verdict, but it was clear from his remarks Navalny would be found guilty, the agency said.

Navalny said during a break that the new verdict repeated word for word a previous court ruling which the European Court of Human Rights found had violated his rights.

"They were too lazy to write another one. It was a demonstration that they don't give a damn about the European Court and can take the old verdict," Navalny said.

Late last year he announced his plan to run for president in 2018, when Vladimir Putin's current term expires. Under Russian law, he would be banned from running for 10 years if convicted of a serious crime.

Prosecutors asked for a five-year suspended sentence.
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http://reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15N12P

For context, Alexei Navalny is a 40 year old lawyer who studied at Yale. He is the leader of the Russian 'Progress Party', which runs a platform of anti-corruption, pro-civil rights and a bit of anti-central asian nationalism too.

Although it has a large membership, the 'Progress Party' has never been allowed to register as an official party for the state and regional legislature elections. Navalny ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013, achieving second place with 24% of the vote.

In 2011, Moscow experienced the largest anti-government demonstrations since the 1990s. The resulting clampdown in 2012 lead to Alexei Navalny being arrested and charged with stealing $500,000 worth of lumber from a state owned company.

In 2013, Navalny was found guilty of this alleged embezzlement and sentenced to 5 years in prison. However, this verdict was overturned on appeal from the European Court of Human Rights in February 2016. In November 2016, Russia's Supreme Court overturned this appeal, and handed the case back to the Russian district court for review. A few weeks later in December, Navalny announced he intends to run for president in 2018.
 
T

TheChaos0

Member
It's not not like Navalny could actually win even if he ran for the president but I guess Putin would rather have no real opposition to stroke his ego.
 
S

Stead Fast

Banned
Netherscourge said:
I thought Putin couldn't run again after this term ends?

Did he change the laws again?
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No, he just seemingly is willing to have an uncanny knack of finding out every single opponent is a big ol' criminal, mixed in with the profound luck of having every other political critic and opponent come down with a bad case 'unkown poisoning'.

He'll just lame it out until he's the only Russian left.
 
T

TheChaos0

Member
Netherscourge said:
I thought Putin couldn't run again after this term ends?

Did he change the laws again?
Click to expand...

Well, whoever is going to run next term will be a Putin's placeholder until he can come back the next time! Just like Medvedev was. Is he going to be the vice-president again? probably! So nothing really changes in terms who's in charge.
 
S

Stead Fast

Banned
TheChaos0 said:
It's not not like Navalny could actually win even if he ran for the president but I guess Putin would rather have no real opposition to stroke his ego.
Click to expand...

It's not even ego stroking, at least, it's not wholly about that. Putin is equal parts wise and paranoid about any and all political upheaval. He knows his control is only as effective as his ability to intimidate. If he allowed a niche outsider to maintain any sense of disobedience, given enough time, more Russians would easily become immune to, or just not care that this man has killed opponents and squashed movements in the past.

He likely relishes these opponents as much as he fears them, and he needs them to be examples to fuel the image that makes him so feared.
 
H

hobblygobbly

Member
Some other info some who don't know much about him might want to know in recent years:

Navalny is the biggest Putin and his party's critic that still lives in Russia.

He's been imprisoned before. His brother is in prison now (solitary confinement) and some of his close activists/protest organisers as well.

Navalny came 2nd in Moscow mayoral elections in 2013.

He's been at the centre of big protests, he was a leading figure of the anti-Putin protests from 2011-2013 that saw 100 000+ protestors on Moscow streets.

He's got over 1.7m twitter followers (absolutely huge following for someone that is anti-Putin and opposition politician).

Why is something like twitter above important? He is never ever mentioned by name in Russian state media (which is most of the media), always "opposition" or "him/he", never by name and is only ever in the media for bad, never good, a completely biased view of him is given on state media. Despite this he still has huge support.

This guilty verdict means he is barred from 2018 elections according to Russian constitution.

Also important to note that it's very difficult for Russian opposition to function, because even as opposition Putin uses them as pawns to proclaim that Russia is a democracy and has political freedom -- that people like Navalny can exist and operate. But it's an illusion. Opposition knows they are used in some ways like this but not much they can do, that's how fucked up it is with Putin.

When they get "too big" and "too noticed" things don't go well for them (last big opposition voice was assassinated just outside the Kremlin), nonetheless Navalny has been a strong force, especially when you consider how everything is stacked against him and other opposition, like with the media.

Navalny is one of quite a few opposition that would be good to lead Russia, opposition that wants to move Russia closer to the values of other European countries instead of going the opposite way that Putin is doing. In fact this is the same sentiment Ukrainians had and also how the Euromaidan came about, to be closer to the values/systems rest of Europe has.
 
N

neorej

ERMYGERD!
the new verdict repeated word for word a previous court ruling which the European Court of Human Rights found had violated his rights.
Click to expand...

This exactly tells you how much Russia values the opinion of others.
 
X

Xe4

Banned
Alanood said:
How about asking families of the millions of victims killed by the US?
Click to expand...

How about asking the families of the Russian Journalists and activists assassinated by Putin? Nobody is saying the US is perfect, but comparing us to Russia is silly and a loosing argument.
 
R

RinsFury

Member
hobblygobbly said:
Some other info some who don't know much about him might want to know in recent years:

Navalny is the biggest Putin and his party's critic that still lives in Russia.

He's been imprisoned before. His brother is in prison now (solitary confinement) and some of his close activists/protest organisers as well.

Navalny came 2nd in Moscow mayoral elections in 2013.

He's been at the centre of big protests, he was a leading figure of the anti-Putin protests from 2011-2013 that saw 100 000+ protestors on Moscow streets.

He's got over 1.7m twitter followers (absolutely huge following for someone that is anti-Putin and opposition politician).

Why is something like twitter above important? He is never ever mentioned by name in Russian state media (which is most of the media), always "opposition" or "him/he", never by name. And is only ever in the media for bad, never good, a completely biased view of him is given on state media. Despite he still has huge support.

This guilty verdict means he is barred from 2018 elections according to Russian constitution.

Also important to note that it's very difficult for Russian opposition to function, because even as opposition Putin uses them as pawns to proclaim that Russia is a democracy and has political freedom, that people like Navalny can exist, it's an illusion. Opposition knows they are used in some ways like this but not much they can do, that's how fucked up it is with Putin.

When they get "too big" and "too noticed" things don't go well for them, nonetheless Navalny has been a strong force, especially when you consider how everything is stacked against him and other opposition, like with the media.
Click to expand...


Truly terrifying, and I hope not a sign of things to come here.
 
J

Jacce

Banned
Alanood said:
How about asking families of the millions of victims killed by the US?
Click to expand...

Russia does that too but 100000x fold.

And they kill and imprison journalists and politicla opponets who say anything negative about their dictator.

Don't you dare try to compare America to that hellhole that is Russia. To compare America to Russia is downright offensive and spits in the face of democracy and freedom.
 
F

FunkyMonk

Member
Beefy said:
Thank fuck Russia have Putin. So many criminals trying to take over Russia.
Click to expand...

They're already in charge of Russia, Putin himself has stolen billions from the Russian people and will do anything to hold on to power so as to cover up his crimes.
 
A

Alanood

Member
Xe4 said:
How about asking the families of the Russian Journalists and activists assassinated by Putin?
Click to expand...
Did I mention Russia being innocent? The post I quoted is mocking Trump for saying US is not innocent, unless you're trying to say US is actually innocent? Both are not. Trump said something true this time.
Jacce said:
Don't you dare try to compare America to that hellhole that is Russia. To compare America to Russia is downright offensive and spits in the face of democracy and freedom.
Click to expand...
I don't like comparing hellholes. The post I quoted wan't talking about democracy or freedom, it was about US and Russia led by killers.
 
A

Armaros

Member
Alanood said:
Did I mention Russia being innocent? The post I quoted is mocking Trump for saying US is not innocent, unless you're trying to say US is actually innocent? Both are not. Trump said something true this time.

I don't like comparing hellholes. The post I quoted wan't talking about democracy or freedom, it was about US and Russia led by killers.
Click to expand...

What do you think a whataboutism argument is? What is this thread about? Trump locking up his political rivals? Have his opponents mysteriously have been murdered?
 
N

Nerazar

Member
Armaros said:
What do you think a whataboutism argument is? What is this thread about? Trump locking up his political rivals? Have his opponents mysteriously have been murdered?
Click to expand...

Well, his catch phrase was "LOCK HER UP!" and I don't see why the second thing won't come to fruition. I mean, look at him. He's adoring Putin and he goes after anyone who disagrees with him. Up the ante and he will make people disappear, that's what happens with insecure people with too much power.
 
V

Volimar

Member
At least he's still alive. I guess Putin is mellowing in his old age.

Nerazar said:
Well, his catch phrase was "LOCK HER UP!" and I don't see why the second thing won't come to fruition. I mean, look at him. He's adoring Putin and he goes after anyone who disagrees with him. Up the ante and he will make people disappear, that's what happens with insecure people with too much power.
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7VSYLdE.gif
 
The Horror the horror

The Horror the horror

Banned
Running against a dictator is a sure-fire way to getting yourself killed or locked up in a storage container for the rest of your life.

You don't use a democratic process to overthrow tyranny. Never heard of a tyrant getting "voted" out.
 
P

phxxBullet

Banned
hobblygobbly said:
Some other info some who don't know much about him might want to know in recent years:

Navalny is the biggest Putin and his party's critic that still lives in Russia.

He's been imprisoned before. His brother is in prison now (solitary confinement) and some of his close activists/protest organisers as well.

Navalny came 2nd in Moscow mayoral elections in 2013.

He's been at the centre of big protests, he was a leading figure of the anti-Putin protests from 2011-2013 that saw 100 000+ protestors on Moscow streets.

He's got over 1.7m twitter followers (absolutely huge following for someone that is anti-Putin and opposition politician).

Why is something like twitter above important? He is never ever mentioned by name in Russian state media (which is most of the media), always "opposition" or "him/he", never by name and is only ever in the media for bad, never good, a completely biased view of him is given on state media. Despite this he still has huge support.

This guilty verdict means he is barred from 2018 elections according to Russian constitution.

Also important to note that it's very difficult for Russian opposition to function, because even as opposition Putin uses them as pawns to proclaim that Russia is a democracy and has political freedom -- that people like Navalny can exist and operate. But it's an illusion. Opposition knows they are used in some ways like this but not much they can do, that's how fucked up it is with Putin.

When they get "too big" and "too noticed" things don't go well for them (last big opposition voice was assassinated just outside the Kremlin), nonetheless Navalny has been a strong force, especially when you consider how everything is stacked against him and other opposition, like with the media.

Navalny is one of quite a few opposition that would be good to lead Russia, opposition that wants to move Russia closer to the values of other European countries instead of going the opposite way that Putin is doing. In fact this is the same sentiment Ukrainians had and also how the Euromaidan came about, to be closer to the values/systems rest of Europe has.
Click to expand...
Knowing nothing about Russia, this sounds really scary to me.

Thanks, any recommendations for reading up on Russia's true political circumstances?
 
K

Kevyt

Member
So how is it possible for Russians to be proud of their country when things like this are happening?

Edit: some, not all. This is merely intended of those that approve of the current state of Russia's government. Like how can people not see this is pretty much a dictatorship they're living in?
 
N

Nafai1123

Banned
Seath said:
So how is it possible for Russians to be proud of their country when things like this are happening?

Edit: some, not all. This is merely intended of those that approve of the current state of Russia's government. Like how can people not see this is pretty much a dictatorship they're living in?
Click to expand...

Because they're fed Russian propaganda and nothing else. Same reason people who only watch Fox News think Obama is a Muslim and Hillary is a Satan worshipper.
 
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