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Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny convicted Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny convicted
(35 minutes later)
Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of embezzlement, in a trial he claims is politically motivated.Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of embezzlement, in a trial he claims is politically motivated.
Judge Sergei Blinov said the anti-corruption campaigner had defrauded a timber firm.Judge Sergei Blinov said the anti-corruption campaigner had defrauded a timber firm.
Navalny has always denied the claim, insisting he was brought to trial because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Mr Navalny has always denied the charge, insisting he was brought to trial because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin.
The verdict means he may not be able to run for Moscow mayor in September.The verdict means he may not be able to run for Moscow mayor in September.
Alexei Navalny arrived at the courtroom in Kirov to hear the verdict, after a 12-hour overnight train journey from Moscow.Alexei Navalny arrived at the courtroom in Kirov to hear the verdict, after a 12-hour overnight train journey from Moscow.
The BBC's Daniel Sandford said Navalny smiled in a resigned manner when the almost inevitable guilty verdict came. The BBC's Moscow correspondent Daniel Sandford said Mr Navalny smiled in a resigned manner when the almost inevitable guilty verdict came.
The key question now, our correspondent says, is whether Judge Blinov will give the full six year prison sentence for which the prosecution have asked. The key question now is whether Judge Blinov will give the full six year prison sentence for which the prosecution have asked, our correspondent says.
The judge is expected to hand down a sentence later on Thursday. Mr Navalny recently said he would like to stand for president, but if he is jailed for that long he will be unable to contest the 2018 presidential election.
'Crooks and thieves''Crooks and thieves'
Mr Navalny, 37, is accused of defrauding the Kirovles state timber company while working as an adviser to Kirov's governor Nikita Belykh. Mr Navalny, 37, was found guilty of heading a group that embezzled 16m rubles ($500,000, £330,000) worth of timber from the Kirovles state timber company while working as an adviser to Kirov's governor Nikita Belykh.
During the trial, the prosecutors stopped short of demanding the maximum term of 10 years. "The court, having examined the case, has established that Navalny organised a crime and ... the theft of property on a particularly large scale," Judge Blinov told the court.
Mr Navalny, tweeting before the verdict, said the judge was simply repeating the accusations made by prosecutors.
"So... there will be no nice scenario with an acquittal," he tweeted.
In his closing remarks earlier this month, Mr Navalny was unrepentant, saying the case had been fabricated to remove him from politics.In his closing remarks earlier this month, Mr Navalny was unrepentant, saying the case had been fabricated to remove him from politics.
"We will destroy this feudal society that is robbing all of us," he raged."We will destroy this feudal society that is robbing all of us," he raged.
"If somebody thought that on hearing the threat of six years in prison I was going to run away abroad or hide somewhere, they were mistaken. I cannot run away from who I am.""If somebody thought that on hearing the threat of six years in prison I was going to run away abroad or hide somewhere, they were mistaken. I cannot run away from who I am."
Mr Navalny has inspired mass protests against the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin in December 2011, and recently declared he would like to stand for president. Mr Navalny came to prominence when he inspired mass protests against the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin in December 2011.
For several years he has been a thorn in the side of the political establishment, campaigning against the endemic corruption, the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow reports. He is now one of the key figures of the opposition - a thorn in the side of the political establishment, campaigning against the endemic corruption, our correspondent says.
Mr Navalny has also coined a phrase to describe the ruling party United Russia that has stuck in everyone's minds - "the party of crooks and thieves".Mr Navalny has also coined a phrase to describe the ruling party United Russia that has stuck in everyone's minds - "the party of crooks and thieves".