Navalny's Defiant Stand Against Kremlin Crackdown

Alexei Navalny, Russia's opposition leader, faced a secret trial on extremism charges that could extend his existing prison sentences by decades. Navalny is accused of leading an extremist group, his Anti-Corruption Foundation, which fought against corruption by Russian officials. The trial was held in an unidentified room in a prison, from which media and even Navalny's parents were barred. The sound quality was poor, and the video abruptly switched off after 86 minutes of arguments. Prosecutor Nadezhda Tikhonova called for the trial to be closed to the media, arguing there was a threat to the security of participants. Navalny said the trial "will greatly add to my sentence" and accused Putin of being afraid of what he will say.