Moscow, Russia

A Russian court handed down a nearly decade-long prison sentence to Ksenia Fadeyeva, who formerly led the now-banned organisation of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Tomsk. This verdict is part of a broader trend of intensified repression against Russia's opposition, with the Kremlin tightening its grip on civil society since the commencement of a military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

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Supporters reported that the court, presided over by 'judge' Khudyakov, declared a nine-year sentence for Fadeyeva on charges of extremism. The Telegram channel of her supporters conveyed the intention to appeal to the highest court, indicating a determined legal challenge to the verdict.

"The 'judge' Khudyakov has ordered a nine-year sentence against Ksenia Fadeyeva" for extremism, her supporters' Telegram channel said. 

"Of course, the defence will appeal to the highest court," it added.

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Navalny's political office and repression

As the head of Navalny's political office in Tomsk, Fadeyeva played a significant role in a region where Navalny himself was poisoned in August 2020, ahead of elections.

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Despite being elected to the Tomsk city legislature in 2020, a symbolic victory for the Russian opposition against President Vladimir Putin's regime, the authorities designated the group as an "extremist organisation" in 2021. This designation exposed its members and supporters to legal persecution.

While many of Navalny's allies chose to leave, Fadeyeva refused to flee and was apprehended in December 2021 on charges of organising an "extremist" group. The Russian government has frequently used laws related to "terrorist" and "extremist" activities to impose lengthy prison sentences on critics, a tactic exemplified by Navalny's own incarceration.

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Navalny, who sparked widespread protests in Russia before his 2021 imprisonment on fraud charges, had his sentence extended to 19 years on extremism charges in 2023. Furthermore, he was relocated to a harsher colony in Russia's Arctic. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by regional heads, has faced similar repression, with allies like Lilia Chanysheva receiving substantial prison terms.

The sentencing of Ksenia Fadeyeva adds to the growing list of opposition figures facing severe legal consequences in Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)