Anti-corruption blogger Navalny sentenced to 5 years behind bars

http://rt.com/news/navalny-verdict-court-guilty-234/

by areski • 13 years ago

80 47 13 years ago

rt.com

anovikov4• 13 years ago

As a Russian, i support that. He was too stupid to try fighting the system openly, playing on their own field.

cseelus• 13 years ago

Didn't he announce to run for moscow major? As a Russian, maybe you can explain what exactly he did wrong?

sojorn• 13 years ago

Indeed, he did announce that. He had a good chance of winning this election (even with outrageos cheating from the Putin's part (another candidate is just Putin's puppet who uses his mayor's powers to embezzle money from Moscow's budget)).

He exposed the ruling party, or, to be more accurate, the "cream of the crop" of this party who, through numerous schemes, suck money from Russia and from taxpayers' money). He was widely regarded as an annoyance to Putin and his friends (all of whom became billionaires).

Navalny did nothing wrong and is a real patriot of the country, but unfortunately the Law doesn't work in Russia because Putin directly or indirectly controls it all.

This trial is a theater and was only done to deprive Navalny of any future political activities (several weeks ago the very same party passed a law that prohibits convicted people from being elected anywhere). The judge built this trial on top of the words (with no proof) of an executive of this company (who obviously have been forced to slander Navalny and who said during the trial that "I don't remember the exact details, but Navalny is guilty". It became so funny that the prosection had to read to this executive what he has to say during the trial). The judge barred more than 10 witnesses of the defense, and basically didn't allow the defense to present any evidence that implies Navalny's innocence (independent audit reports, for example). Judges who find guilty otherwise innocent opposition members get awarded with appartments and get another luxurious incentives.

It wasn't a trial, it was a circus. But hey, even circuses have better and more professional clowns.

demetrius2• 13 years ago

Even if someone is stupid, it is not a valid reason to put them into prison unless he commited a crime. Which Navalny didn’t, obviously.

qwerz1233• 13 years ago

Could you tell us why you so sure?

terabytest• 13 years ago

Why is fighting openly a bad move? If it's true that the case that got him in jail was fabricated, he's been detained in an unjust way and he doesn't deserve it just because he fought openly. I think he'd actually deserve even more praise for being open about his identity and fighting the system directly.

quantumpotato_• 13 years ago

I think anovikov is trying to say that it is futile to fight the Russian government openly.

conductor• 13 years ago

I see this in this manner: smart people in Russia know that the government is evil and that it can (and will) abuse its power to ensure they reserve their power and money. They know democracy doesn't work as intended, it's a theater.

Contrary to that, people of the western world still believe that they can oppose an abusive government in courts and by voting for another government.

anovikov4• 13 years ago

Well, this is a bad move because it is stupid. It could not potentially result in any change. Only way a rational person can help Russian people is to work on improving educational system to help them emigrate and settle in developed countries successfully.

Also, in Russian mentality, it is not important if you committed any crime or not, it is more important if you were smart enough to not get jailed or not. Because nearly everyone who is politically or economically active commits crimes (which carries no stigma and is part of the system), and nearly everyone can be jailed either having committed a crime or not. So nobody thinks of degree or existence of any crimes he might have committed. This is not a part of the question. It is about being stupid enough to raise too much government's anger, not not leaving country in time.

That's how Russia works (and Mr. Putin has nothing to do about this, that was the norm long before him and once the system might eat himself in exactly the same way). I doubt he even benefits from this much.

mars• 13 years ago

Dude, wtf? Are u serious? This guy did nothing wrong. He's a journalist and it seems like you don't get the idea of freedom of speech. Maybe it's because of people like you that the Russian government can do whatever it wants.

Elhana• 13 years ago

While he was working as an advisor for Kirov district governer, he supposedly forced contracts with disadvantageus prices on state owned company with a total of 16 mln rur (roughly 500k usd). I didn't read court documents, but I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did. Fact that he blogged about corruption for a few years doesn't make him innocent, but government probably would never looked into it if he'd keep quiet.

af32• 13 years ago

Идiотъ

demetrius2• 13 years ago

Надѣюсь, что Вы это сказали про А. Новикова, а не Навальнаго... (I hope the remark is about anovikov and not Navalny...)

sesm2• 13 years ago

So, if you personally don't like him, then the government can fabricate whatever case to put him in prison? Seems legit.

rorrr2• 13 years ago

That's Russia for you. Anybody going against the corrupt ruling party is either killed or imprisoned.

Actually, it's worse than that. The conviction rate in Russia is something like 99%, meaning that if you get charged with a crime, you will be found guilty. There are judges that have NEVER issued an innocent verdict in their career.

timw6n• 13 years ago

Which is not actually that different from the US, where the conviction rate is 93%, of which 97% accepted a plea bargain prior to trial.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/usao/reading_room/reports/asr2011/11s...

anonymfus4• 13 years ago

By itself conviction rate is not indicator because there are different requirements for charges in different countries. It's called "inquisitorial legal system" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisitorial_system ).

yread• 13 years ago

Japan has 99.97%

Tyr42• 13 years ago

That's because they drop any case that they have a chance of losing, since it reflects poorly on them.

spindritf• 13 years ago

Anybody going against the corrupt ruling party is either killed or imprisoned.

That's not true. Quite a few live in exile.

teleological2• 13 years ago

Wait, isn't Russia the "first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless"? You kidder, you, Edward Snowden.

guard-of-terra2• 13 years ago

Edward Snowden will be more than happy to receive asylum from Germany or Australia but they don't exactly line for that.

So he had to settle on Russia.

teleological2• 13 years ago

He had to settle on Russia because his first choice, China, sent him packing.

cpncrunch2• 13 years ago

Exactly what I was thinking. Snowden is either highly delusional or completely out of options. As soon as he doesn't play ball with Putin, he'll be in jail with all the other troublemakers.

I can't believe your comment got downvoted.

jotm2• 13 years ago

Of course he's out of options - you'd think an NSA employee would know that Russia isn't exactly a bastion of freedom and justice... But jailtime is worse...

znowi• 13 years ago

Although, the charges may be true, the case is undoubtedly politically motivated. Incriminated $500K is a tiny drop in the ocean of "approved" corruption routinely carried out by the state officials and their affiliated companies.

When a big fish is "caught" (mostly due to "falling out of favor", not actual crime committed), if it's of the same "party", it's gently ousted out of their position and/or the country for a comfortable retirement. If an opposition - a fancy, exemplary trial is conducted... unless they slip away to the UK :)

qwerz1233• 13 years ago

So stealing 10.000 cubic meters of wood from organization "Kirovles" is now "political case", "fighting against the system" and "did nothing"? Ok I'll keep this in mind.

anonymfus4• 13 years ago

He did not steal anything. All witnesses for prosecution said that he was not related to the case, all defence witnesses was not allowed.

sesm2• 13 years ago

created: 23 minutes ago

+ 15 rubles

anonymfus4• 13 years ago

Everybody actually from Russia knows that it's 85 rubles/comment.

qwerz1233• 13 years ago

I have been reading HN for a long time. But yes i wanted to leave a comment because we all know how media (especially US) is independent. Independent from truth, morale and objectivism of course.

0x0F0• 13 years ago

Hm, interesting, why then they paid for "stolen" wood almost 14 million rubles?

eps• 13 years ago

One man's "anti-corruption blogger" is another man's the "US-funded shit-stirring puppet". It's not all exactly black and white, but it is 100% political.

wwosik• 13 years ago

I don't know the case, but do you think talking about concrete corruption cases is "stirring unrest against legitimate government"?

Anti-corruption blogger Navalny sentenced to 5 years behind bars

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