Russian court rejects Alexei Navalny’s appeal against arrest

The 44-year-old, the most well-known critic of President Vladimir Putin’s government, was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during a live session with the court during a hearing of his appeal in Moscow. Picture: Pavel Golovkin/AP

A Russian court has rejected opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s appeal against his arrest while authorities detained several of his allies after tens of thousands swarmed the streets in more than 100 Russian cities last weekend demanding his release.

Speaking to court via video link from jail, Mr Navalny denounced criminal proceedings against him as part of the government’s efforts to intimidate the opposition.