Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny urged his supporters Monday to begin a broad campaign against Moscow's actions in Ukraine as he went on trial on new charges of extremism that could keep him behind bars for decades.
The trial began inside a maximum security penal colony in Melekhovo, 250 kilometres (150 miles) east of Moscow, where Navalny, 47, is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court -- charges he says are politically motivated. Soon after it started, the judge closed the trial despite Navalny's demand to keep it open.
In a statement posted on social media by his allies, Navalny declared that the decision to close the trial was a sign of fear by President Vladimir Putin, and he announced the start of a campaign against Moscow's decision to send troops to Ukraine.
Navalny said the effort must reach out to millions to explain the disastrous impact of the fighting and "combat Putin's lies and the Kremlin's hypocrisy." He argued that despite a relentless crackdown on dissent, such a campaign could be efficiently conducted on messaging apps outside the authorities' control.
"No one but us could enter this fight for our citizens' hearts and minds, so we need to do it and win," Navalny said.
Navalny, who exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests, was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
Wearing his prison garb, Navalny looked gaunt at the session but spoke emphatically about the weakness of the state's case and gestured energetically.
Navalny has said the new extremism charges, which he rejected as "absurd," could keep him in prison for another 30 years. He said an investigator told him that he would also face a separate military trial on terrorism charges that potentially carry a life sentence.
The Moscow City Court, which opened the hearing at Penal Colony No. 6, didn't allow reporters in the courtroom and they watched the proceedings via video feed from a separate building. Navalny's parents also were denied access to the court and followed the hearing remotely.
Navalny and his lawyers urged the judge to hold an open trial, arguing that authorities are eager to suppress details of the proceedings to cover up the weakness of the case.
"The investigators, the prosecutors and the authorities in general don't want the public to know about the trial," Navalny said.
Prosecutor Nadezhda Tikhonova asked the judge to conduct the trial behind closed doors, citing security concerns. The judge agreed and reporters were asked to leave the premises.
Asked about the decision to close the trial, Navalny's father, Anatoly, told reporters it showed "the utter lack of shame, conscience and dignity."
Russia's state news agencies and other media reported on the trial, but the most- watched government-controlled TV stations didn't cover it.
The new charges relate to the activities of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation and statements by his top associates. His allies said the charges retroactively criminalize all the activities of Navalny's foundation since its creation in 2011.
One of Navalny's associates, Daniel Kholodny, was relocated from a different prison to face trial alongside him.
Navalny has spent months in a tiny, one-person cell, also called a "punishment cell," for purported disciplinary violations such as an alleged failure to properly button his prison clothes, properly introduce himself to a guard or to wash his face at a specified time.
Navalny's associates and supporters have accused prison authorities of failing to provide him with proper medical assistance and voiced concern about his health.
As Navalny's trial began, the Prosecutor General's office declared the Bulgaria-based Agora human rights group to be an "undesirable" organization. It said the group poses a "threat to the constitutional order and national security" by alleging human rights violations and offering legal assistance to members of the opposition movement.
Russian authorities have banned dozens of domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations on similar grounds.
In Berlin, the German government criticized the trial of Navalny and reiterated its call for his immediate release.
"In case of of the opposition politician Alexei Navalny, the Russian authorities keep looking for new excuses to extend his imprisonment," government spokesman Wolfgang Buechner told reporters.
"The German government continues to demand of the Russian authorities that they release Navalny without delay," he added. "Navalny's imprisonment is based on a politically motivated verdict, as the European Court of Human Rights concluded back in 2017."
Asked whether Germany could provide any assistance to Navalny or observe the trial, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said German officials were doing what they could "on the few channels that we have," but acknowledged it was "very difficult at the moment" given the current state of relations with Russia.
------
Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.
U.S. forecasters are warning of destructive waves, devastating winds and flash floods through the week as Hurricane Milton makes its way from the Yucatan Peninsula toward Florida.
A seasoned American meteorologist became emotional on air as he gave an update on a major hurricane, later suggesting the reason behind his strong reaction.
An American family doctor is frustrated with what she says has been a challenging two-year-and-counting bureaucratic journey to be accepted into Canada.
Emotions boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died.
WeightWatchers said on Tuesday it would offer a compounded version of Novo Nordisk's popular obesity drug Wegovy as part of its weight-management programs.
As U.S. regulators push for an investigation into what they call 'deadly baby and toddler products' from foreign e-commerce sites, health officials in Canada say they haven't determined whether any laws or regulations have been broken.
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that the dramatic side to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and his tendency to 'play everything to the hilt,' could well become his undoing.
Baby Boomers may be expected to live longer than their predecessors, but a recent study has found that they are more likely to suffer from worse health than previous generations.
Elections BC is reissuing new 'where to vote' cards to some residents after an administrative error mistakenly recommended voting places that were farther from homes than necessary.
On September 11, 80-year-old Madeleine Gervais was robbed in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
An American family doctor is frustrated with what she says has been a challenging two-year-and-counting bureaucratic journey to be accepted into Canada.
Elections BC is reissuing new 'where to vote' cards to some residents after an administrative error mistakenly recommended voting places that were farther from homes than necessary.
A Toronto senior says she can’t believe that two roofers took advantage of her, despite knowing she was recently widowed and suffering from a painful disability.
A Saskatoon mom is desperately fighting eviction after she discovered mould in her suite and reported it to her landlord.
A former New York City official was charged Tuesday with witness tampering and destroying evidence in a federal investigation that led to Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment. The arrest came amid yet more high-profile departures from Adams' administration as federal prosecutors delve deeper into allegations that the mayor was involved in a coverup.
Donald Trump has had as many as seven private phone calls with Vladimir Putin since leaving office and secretly sent the Russian president COVID-19 test machines during the height of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new book, 'War.'
Britain is facing a "staggering rise" in assassination attempts on U.K. soil by Russia and Iran, as the hostile states recruit criminals to "do their dirty work" for them, the head of the U.K.'s domestic intelligence agency said Tuesday.
A seasoned American meteorologist became emotional on air as he gave an update on a major hurricane, later suggesting the reason behind his strong reaction.
A German court on Tuesday acquitted a man who is also under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in a trial on charges of unrelated sexual offences.
Kamala Harris called Donald Trump 'incredibly irresponsible' for spreading falsehoods about the federal response to Hurricane Helene's destruction, offering especially sharp words as a new storm bears down on Florida with just weeks until Election Day.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the government has no intention of proroguing Parliament to end an impasse with the Tories over a matter of privilege.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to Laos today to take part in the ASEAN Summit.
A former deputy minister of public safety says nothing struck him as exceptional in 2021 about a weeks-long delay in ministerial approval of a spy service warrant.
A new report that looks at the sex lives of Canadian youth suggests more needs to be done to encourage safe sex, including reversing a decrease in condom use.
The Ontario government has lowered the age for regular mammogram breast screening to allow all woman between the age of 40 and 49 to self-refer for the service.
An American family doctor is frustrated with what she says has been a challenging two-year-and-counting bureaucratic journey to be accepted into Canada.
A British-Canadian researcher has won the Nobel Prize in physics for work developing the foundations of machine learning and artificial intelligence. The University of Toronto's Geoffrey Hinton was awarded the prize Tuesday morning, along with Princeton University researcher John Hopfield.
A device used by researchers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada appears to have been the victim of an attack by a great white shark.
A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health.
An elevator mechanic mistakenly threw out a piece of artwork, made to look like empty beer cans, assuming it was litter, a Dutch museum revealed earlier this month.
The "Star Trek" star, Chris Pine, has a new children's book out, titled "When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail."
Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Statistics Canada says the country posted a merchandise trade deficit of $1.1 billion in August as lower oil prices weighed on exports.
A new report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is sending a stark warning ahead of the U.S. presidential election, saying protectionist policies like Donald Trump's proposed tariffs could damage economies on both sides of the border.
A Toronto senior says she can’t believe that two roofers took advantage of her, despite knowing she was recently widowed and suffering from a painful disability.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
A Winnipeg baker is hanging up his apron permanently because he won the lottery.
When it comes to raising a child, the majority of fathers say they share tasks equally, but fewer mothers tend to say the same thing, according to a Statistics Canada survey.
RJ Barrett will miss the rest of the Toronto Raptors' pre-season with an injury.
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson made the stunning decision Tuesday to fire Saleh five games into his fourth season after the team's 2-3 start following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday.
FIFA banned Italian soccer player Marco Curto for 10 games for making a discriminatory remark at South Korea forward Hee Chan Hwang in a preseason game between Como and Wolverhampton.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator program”. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
A gargantuan gourd – affectionately named ‘Orangina’ by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home – earned the massive honour of being named B.C.’s heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.
Border officers in B.C.'s Lower Mainland made more than 60 seizures of methamphetamine bound for Australia in a six-month span earlier this year, totalling more than eight million doses of the drug.
Police are investigating after a 60-year-old woman was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday morning in Abbotsford, B.C.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services were called to a blaze affecting multiple houses on the 1000 Block of East Pender St.
Some City of Toronto park crews did half as much maintenance work as they reported and instead appeared to hang out at plazas and eateries, a new report from the city’s Auditor General has found.
Police are searching for five teenagers who allegedly sexually assaulted a female youth in Vaughan over the weekend.
A Toronto senior says she can’t believe that two roofers took advantage of her, despite knowing she was recently widowed and suffering from a painful disability.
Calgary police are investigating after several shots were fired in the northeast community of Saddle Ridge.
Calgary's police chief is worried possible changes to Alberta's photo radar rules will affect safety for both residents and officers – and not just on the roads.
Calgary police are trying to find a woman who was touched inappropriately by a naked man in early August.
On September 11, 80-year-old Madeleine Gervais was robbed in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
An Ottawa man who stabbed his estranged wife to death in an attack that also injured his daughter in Ottawa's west end has been found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
The federal government announced 14 new properties will be added to the Canada Public Land Bank, the list of federal properties that could be turned into new homes, including seven in Ottawa and two in Gatineau, Que.
Quebec coroner Géhane Kamel will preside over a public enquiry into the deaths of Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her seven-year-old daughter Vérane, who were killed in a fire in a heritage building in Old Montreal on Oct. 4 that also left two people injured.
Montreal police (SPVM) arrested a 15-year-old in connection with an alleged arson in Saint-Leonard that occurred on the weekend.
Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt said on Tuesday that one of its entities had filed for bankruptcy with a Stockholm court due to its financial situation.
Edmonton's transit system is seeing record usage, with six million trips taken in September.
This is for people new to hockey. Not everyone who lives in Canada follows the game, even though it's the country's unofficial official sport. Hard for the hardcore hockey fan to understand, I know.
The upper ridge continues to dominate the weather pattern over Alberta.
Police in New Brunswick are trying to track down a man they consider “armed and dangerous” after he allegedly crashed a vehicle, waved a weapon at police, and fled in a stolen vehicle.
A device used by researchers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada appears to have been the victim of an attack by a great white shark.
A band of rain continues to move slowly across the Maritimes as Hurricane Milton is forecasted to remain a major hurricane with severe weather impacts in Florida.
To get between Churchill, Manitoba, Canada -- the polar bear and beluga whale capital of the world and a tourist hot spot for northern adventure tourism -- and Winnipeg, Manitoba, there are only two options: A $1,100 one-way plane flight that takes two-and-a-half hours or a scenic 45-hour to 49-hour much cheaper train ride.
Manitoba RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service are launching a most-wanted website.
Manitoba health-care support workers will not be hitting the picket line on Tuesday morning.
A 35-year-old Regina man is facing multiple charges after police say he barricaded himself inside a basement suite and set fire to entryways.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
Those in Saskatchewan gazing at the stars Monday night were treated to a brilliant display of northern lights – as a solar storm continues to bear down on the northern hemisphere.
Fire crews were called to respond to Mohawk Plaza shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Police say they received a 911 call from the involved pilot around 11:20 a.m. after they had crash-landed in a farm field near Newry Road.
The Ontario government has lowered the age for regular mammogram breast screening to allow all woman between the age of 40 and 49 to self-refer for the service.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
A Saskatoon mom is desperately fighting eviction after she discovered mould in her suite and reported it to her landlord.
Those in Saskatchewan gazing at the stars Monday night were treated to a brilliant display of northern lights – as a solar storm continues to bear down on the northern hemisphere.
A teacher working on a First Nation in northwestern Ontario has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor.
The mayor of Greater Sudbury is throwing his weight behind a proposal that could see 83 new residential units come out of the old Scotia Tower downtown.
Police in Huntsville are investigating a deadly single-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday morning.
U.S. forecasters are warning of destructive waves, devastating winds and flash floods through the week as Hurricane Milton makes its way from the Yucatan Peninsula toward Florida.
A 20 year old is charged with two counts of fail or refusal to comply with demand made by peace officer cause bodily harm, two counts of dangerous operation causing bodily harm, two counts of impaired operation cause bodily harm and transport cannabis
The reigning Ontario Hockey League regular season and playoff MVP looked to have a little extra jump in his step on the ice, and it’s clear he’s improved since the Memorial Cup final last spring.
A 20-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a speeding car that struck and killed an international student crossing Big Bay Point Road in Barrie last summer has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
Police in Huntsville are investigating a deadly single-vehicle collision that happened Tuesday morning.
Police arrested a man accused of setting an animal on fire in Orillia, Ont. last month.
Several cars are being pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor.
Windsor police say they are looking for the driver who crashed into the Children’s Aid Society building.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator program”. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
Elections BC is reissuing new 'where to vote' cards to some residents after an administrative error mistakenly recommended voting places that were farther from homes than necessary.
The leaders of B.C.'s three main political parties will be facing off Tuesday evening for their first and only televised debate ahead of the Oct. 19 election. Here's what viewers can expect.
Police are investigating after a 60-year-old woman was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday morning in Abbotsford, B.C.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
Lethbridge police say a man who escaped from a psychiatric ward at the Chinook Regional Hospital has been found.
While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is the latest organization to call on the Doug Ford government to re-open dialogue with an airline service that transports lower-income Canadians to crucial medical care far from home.
For decades, Mississauga First Nation has known that human remains from their land were at the Canadian Museum of History.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
