Russia to announce a verdict in Navalny case; the Kremlin critic expects a lengthy prison term

MOSCOW (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is due to hear the verdict in his latest trial on extremism charges. The prosecution has demanded a 20-year prison sentence and the politician himself said he expects a lengthy prison term. Navalny is already serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court in a penal colony east of Moscow. He was also sentenced in 2021 to 2½ years in prison for a parole violation. It will be his fifth criminal conviction if the court finds Navalny guilty on Friday. All of the convictions have been widely seen as a deliberate strategy by the Kremlin to silence its most ardent opponent.