Russia: Alexei Navalny Associate Vadim Ostanin Sentenced to Prison

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The Facts

  • Vadim Ostanin, a campaigner for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his role as a leader in Navlany's Anti-Corruption Foundation. The group was deemed an "extremist community" by the court.

  • According to social media statements made by Navalny's team, Ostanin had been accused of participating in an organization "whose activity involves violence against citizens." Navalny's camp added that Ostanin was only involved in "legal political work."

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The Spin

Pro-Russia narrative

The outrage in the West over the internal affairs of Russia speaks to the vested interest they have in Navalny and his allies. Alexei Navalny's organization was labeled extremist as a result of the backing his efforts to destabilize Russian society garner from Western governments. These are so extensive that the government has labeled Navalny a foreign agent. Russia has every right to restrict those meddling on behalf of a foreign regime.

RT International

Anti-Russia narrative

Under Putin, Moscow has taken extreme measures to wipe out opposition in Russia, starting with the most prominent anti-Kremlin leader and his associates. The world cannot just stand by and watch as the legal system is weaponized to lock up every opponent to Putin's dictatorial regime. We cannot allow the Russian government to silence the strongest pro-democracy advocates left in the country.

Inquirer

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