Putin Foe Navalny Convicted Amid Outcry Before G-20 Meeting
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Alexey Navalny, who spearheaded the biggest protests against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 13-year-rule, was sentenced to prison, bringing thousands into the streets as global finance leaders gather in Moscow.
Navalny, 37, was defiant after being handed a five-year sentence for embezzlement and led away in handcuffs by court officers in Kirov, 900 kilometers (560 miles) northeast of Moscow. Local prosecutors said in a statement later they’d seek to free him on bail pending appeal provided he stays in Russia. If Navalny is freed, he will run for mayor on Sept. 8, Interfax reported, citing his campaign head Leonid Volkov.