Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sentenced to 9 years in prison

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison on charges of "fraud" and "judicial insult", AFP journalists who attended the hearing said, and Russian police arrested Navalny's lawyer after the trial.

Judge Margarita Kotova announced that to this sentence, a conditional release for one and a half years and a fine of 1.2 million rubles, or about 10,000 euros at the current exchange rate, should be added.

Navalny, the Kremlin's most prominent opponent, has been in prison for more than a year.

"Putin is afraid of the truth," Navalny said after his conviction.

The opposition's lawyers, Olga Mikhailova and Vadim Kobzev, were arrested on charges of obstructing traffic while speaking to the press outside the prison where Navalny was sentenced.

Navalny will serve his sentence in a "correctional complex subject to a harsh regime", which means his detention conditions will become more stringent.

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