Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny defied the odds when he survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Russian FSB spy agency late last year. Navalny fell into a coma after being poisoned with the nerve agent novichok and nearly died. But after receiving treatment in Berlin, Navalny defied President Vladimir Putin’s expectations by returning directly to Moscow, where he was immediately detained and tried for an alleged violation of parole.
Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth was in court when Navalny was sentenced to more than three years in prison. He tells Rachel Humphreys why it was such a dramatic moment – and what it could mean for the future of the Russian opposition.
Archives: AFP, CNN, Radio Free Europe, Ruptly, Rappier, Bloomberg, Euronews, Chicken Curry Chicken Curry, Alexey Navalny, VOA, Global News, News Update, @neurolera

Photo: Simonovsky / Reuters court
Support The Guardian
The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to everyone. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work.
Support The Guardian