EXCERPT Russian Opposition Leader, Aleksei Navalny, Detained Near Rally. youtu.be/QAthH35W_bQ The suspended sentence will keep Mr. Navalny out of prison, but under Russian law, his felony conviction makes him ineligible to seek public office for 10 years after the sentence is completed. And even if he intended to make a swift return to the political arena, his actions would now be shadowed by fear of harm befalling his brother in prison. nyti.ms/1wyFfYO Activists have long accused authorities of jailing business partners and family members of opponents in an effort to pressure them, reprising a tactic used by the Soviet KGB. The sentence, and the imprisoning of his brother Oleg Navalny seems aimed not only at punishing Alexei Navalny himself and stopping his anticorruption work, but also intimidating other critics of the government, said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:59:18 +0000