Alexey Navalny: The Kremlin critic ridicules claims that he was unable to contact the authorities while in a coma

Navalny was detained two weeks ago after his return from Berlin to Moscow, accused of failing to comply with his terms of probation under a 2014 suspended sentence for embezzlement – a case he rejected as politically motivated. Prison authorities are now looking to replace their suspended sentence with a 3.5-year prison sentence.

Navalny, a perennial thorn on President Vladimir Putin’s side, spent five months in Germany recovering from Novichok poisoning before his return to Moscow on 17 January. He blamed Russian security services and Putin himself for the attack, accusations the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.

In court, Navalny demanded to know how he could have better informed the authorities of his whereabouts during the coma.

“Can you explain to me how else I should comply with my probation terms and let you know where I am?” he said of his glass attachment at the cottage.

A prison service representative responded by saying that he should have provided documents to explain the serious reasons that prevented him from attending the inspections.

“With the?” Navalny fired back. “Why are you sitting here telling the court that you didn’t know where I was? I went into a coma, then I was in the ICU, then I was in rehab. I contacted my lawyer to send you a notification. You had the address, my contact. What else could I have done to inform you? “he said.

“The president of our country said live that he let me go for treatment in Germany and you didn’t know that either?”

Tuesday’s hearing began under a strong security presence, with riot police protecting the courthouse building and isolating the general area with police vehicles, trucks and vans. The nearby streets were opened, but closed to pedestrians and demonstrators with barricades.

CNN reporters witnessed the police arresting dozens of people outside the court before the hearing began.

Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, arrives at the court on Tuesday.

Russian authorities have repeatedly threatened to arrest Navalny if he returns from Germany to Russia. Navalny’s lawyers previously told CNN that they had little hope of his release and criticized the Kremlin’s control over the country’s courts.

In their defense, they argued that the prison service was well aware of Navalyny’s whereabouts, as he received a warning from him in early December. His lawyers also presented a letter from the Berlin Charite Clinic showing that he was in rehab until his return to Russia.

The hearing comes amid widespread protests against the government. Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets across the country for two consecutive weekends to support Navalny and demand his release. The court’s decision to arrest Navalny is likely to only inflame protesters.

Kremlin finds Russian protesters with the most ferocious repression in recent years

On Sunday, protesters were met with the toughest demonstration of strength by Russian security services in years. More than 5,000 people have been detained in at least 85 cities, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info, a record since the 2011 protests. Navalny led mass protests in 2017-18 against the Putin government.

Most of Navalny’s main allies and some relatives have been detained or placed under house arrest in recent weeks, fueling fears of growing political repression. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has been arrested twice since returning to Moscow with her husband. She was released on Sunday, shortly after being arrested.

“Yulia, they show you on TV and keep talking about your radical behavior. Such a bad girl, I’m proud of you,” said Navalny just before his audience started.

Navalny’s allies have already called for another round of national demonstrations next weekend.

CNN’s Angela Dewan and Anna Chernova contributed to this report.

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