The Russian authorities are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a trial Kremlin critics see as an attempt to keep President Vladimir Putin's most ardent foe in prison for as long as possible.
Navalny, who is already serving 2 1/2 years in a penal colony east of Moscow, has been charged with fraud and contempt of court. The prosecution accuses him of embezzling money that he and his foundation raised over the years and of insulting a judge during a previous trial. Navalny has rejected the allegations as politically motivated.
In their closing arguments on Tuesday, the prosecution asked for 13 years in a maximum security prison for the anti-corruption crusader and a 1.2 million-ruble (roughly $10,700) fine. It wasn't immediately clear if Navalny is expected to serve this sentence concurrently with his current one or on top of it.
