Russia: Appeal against detention of Navalny rejected

By Emre Gurkan Abay

MOSCOW (AA) - An appeal against the detention of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny was rejected by the court on Thursday.

Navalny's lawyers applied for the release of their client arrested on Jan. 17 for "violating the probation period several times.”

The Moscow Regional Court decided that there was no change in the legal status of Navalny and rejected his request for release, ordering the continuation of his detention.

Navalny will remain in custody until Feb. 15.

Navalny, 44, who received treatment in Germany for poisoning, was arrested in Moscow upon his return on Jan. 17. Russian authorities said he had violated probation terms from a suspended sentence on a 2014 money laundering offense, which Navalny says is "politically motivated".

Less than 25 hours after his return, Moscow's Khimki Court ruled that Navalny would remain in custody on a 30-day pre-trial detention.

He is now behind bars in Moscow's infamous jail Matrosskaya Tishina.

* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak in Ankara.