World

Navalny appeal rejected; another Kremlin critic jailed

AP

A Russian court has rejected an appeal by imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who contended that prison authorities illegally prevented his lawyers from bringing necessary equipment including voice recorders and laptop computers to a court session held in a prison.

Navalny testified at the Tuesday session by video, the first time he has been seen since being moved to a maximum-security prison. A lower court had previously rejected his complaint about the recording devices ban.

Close associates of Navalny have faced criminal charges and many have left Russia. Authorities shut down his group's political infrastructure - an anti-corruption foundation and a nationwide network of offices - by labeling it extremist.

On Tuesday, prominent opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced to 15 days in jail on charges of failing to obey police.

 He was detained late Monday while walking in a park, and police said he had grabbed one officer by the uniform and vulgarly insulted them.