Putin eliminates Navalny as a political opponent

Commenting on today's verdict against the opposition politician Alexei Navalny, the Green MEP Werner Schulz, vice-chair of the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee said:

"The suspended sentence against Alexei Navalny is an exercise in damage-limitation by the Kremlin. Putin appears to be impressed by both the opposition leader's electoral success in Moscow and his great popularity. Putin is carefully avoiding making Navalny into a martyr. Nevertheless, Putin has managed to neutralise his fiercest political opponent by preventing him from carrying out any political activities. The suspended sentence deprives Navalny of his political rights. He is not entitled to either organize demonstrations or participate in the next Duma and presidential elections.

Due to the completely fallacious nature of the allegations, the appeal should have led only to acquittal or dismissal."