Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeared in a Moscow court on Friday on charges of insulting a World War II veteran.
The defamation case against Navalny was opened last week, after he was already sentenced to three and a half years in another case.
The prominent Kremlin critic could face fines, compulsory labor or prison if convicted in the latest case against him.
What is Navalny accused of?
He is alleged to have slandered participants in a video promoting reforms to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in office longer.
Navalny tweeted a clip of the video, describing the people who appeared in it as “traitors.”
The people who appeared in the video spoke in favor of changing Russia’s constitution, a change that critics say reinforced Putin’s absolute grip on power.
Among them was a 95-year-old World War II veteran who said Navalny’s comments made his health worse.
The trial started last week but was interrupted by the plaintiff’s health problems. Navalny suggested that the veteran, who participated in the hearing remotely, was mentally incapable of following the procedures.
‘Stop embarrassing yourself’
Wearing a blue hoodie, Navalny appeared in a glass cage for the defendants in the Moscow court. Riot police surrounded the court and established cordons.
Navalny’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, urged the judge to allow the media into the courtroom and accused her of bias. Mikhailova asked that the judge not supervise the hearing, a request supported by Navalny.
“Stop being embarrassed and enroll in some courses to improve your knowledge of the laws of the Russian Federation,” he said.
Police seize cup of coffee in raid
Before the appearance, the police conducted a nightly search at the Navalny headquarters, which ended at approximately 1 am local time.
The scope and nature of the evidence seized was not immediately clear. However, photos posted by Navalny staff showed them putting a cup of coffee in a bag.
Police did not give any statement on the reason for the search.
In a report, a Navalny staff member said police claimed they had been told that pornography was posted in the office.
Background to the last test
Navalny’s lawyer has called the defamation trial another attempt to silence his vocal criticism of Putin and his increasingly authoritarian regime.
Navalny was arrested on January 17 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, where he had arrived on a flight from Germany.
He had spent five months outside of Russia while recovering from poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok that he blames the Kremlin for.
His time in Germany was alleged to have violated a suspended sentence imposed on him for a conviction for money laundering and fraud. When Navalny left Russia for Germany, the poisoning had rendered him unconscious.
The 44-year-old man was ordered to serve three and a half years in prison for the alleged rape.
Navalny’s arrest and detention sparked protests across the country over two weekends in January, in which some 10,000 people were reportedly arrested.
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.