Russia seeks 13-year prison sentence for Kremlin foe Navalny

The Russian authorities are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a trial that is widely seen as politically motivated

MOSCOW -- The Russian authorities are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a trial Kremlin critics see as an attempt to keep President Vladimir Putin's most ardent foe in prison for as long as possible.

Navalny, who is already serving 2 1/2 years in a penal colony east of Moscow, has been charged with fraud and contempt of court. The prosecution accuses him of embezzling money that he and his foundation raised over the years and of insulting a judge during a previous trial. Navalny has rejected the allegations as politically motivated.

In their closing arguments on Tuesday, the prosecution asked for 13 years in a maximum security prison for the anti-corruption crusader and a 1.2 million-ruble (roughly $10,700) fine. It wasn't immediately clear if Navalny is expected to serve this sentence concurrently with his current one or on top of it.

Navalny's top ally, Leonid Volkov, who has left Russia where he is facing multiple criminal cases himself, claimed Tuesday in a Facebook post that the authorities want the politician to remain in prison “until the end of life of one of the two people — Navalny himself or Vladimir Putin.”