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        Putin Foe Faces Sudden Announcement of Verdict in Criminal Case

   by VOA News

   A Russian court has decided to deliver its verdict in a criminal case
   involving political activist Alexei Navalny Tuesday, more than two
   weeks before it was scheduled to do so.

   Navalny, along with his brother Oleg, is facing charges of defrauding a
   French cosmetics company of at least $500,000. Prosecutors are seeking
   a 10-year prison sentence.

   The court gave no reason Monday why it had decided to move up the
   reading of the verdict from its original date of January 15. A Facebook
   page created to organize a protest near the Kremlin on that day had
   attracted tens of thousands of supporters. The group's organizers have
   updated the page, which now urges Navalny's supporters to hold the
   demonstration on Tuesday.

   Navalny has been under house arrest since February for participating in
   an unauthorized protest.

   Navlany was the leader of massive demonstrations against President
   Vladimir Putin in 2011 and 2012. He was convicted of embezzlement in
   July 2013 in an unrelated case and sentenced to five years in prison,
   but his sentence was suspended several months later.

   Navalny finished in second place in Moscow's mayoral election that same
   year.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-foe-faces-sudden-announcement-o
   f-verdict-in-criminal-case/2578544.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-foe-faces-sudden-announcement-of-verdict-in-criminal-case/2578544.html