Alexei Navalny was detained immediately upon returning to Russia following a poisoning attempt, and is now on trial for terrorism charges widely seen in the West as politically motivated – Photo: Moscow City Court Press Office | TASS | Getty Images

The private trial of Alexei Navalny, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, begins today.

Navalny was detained upon arrival in Russia in January 2021 and is being indicted on terrorism charges. In March of last year, he was sentenced to nine years in prison. However, he is expected to be given the maximum punishment in all cases opened against him and would therefore remain imprisoned beyond 2050. Germany and the US previously called for Russia to give medical proper medical care to Navalny, to no avail.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Russia has escalated its crackdown on dissent. Last week, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Russian opposition activist who denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. American journalist Evan Gershkovich was detained on espionage charges last month, triggering a media campaign for his freedom.

Navalny’s family recently attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in the company of US President Joe Biden and journalists, where they advocated for Navalny’s release. President Biden affirmed his pledge to work to bring Navalny and other detainees home, while also focusing his speech on the issue of press freedom. However, it is unlikely that Navalny and other detainees will be released, at least while Putin remains in power.