Russia sentences Navalny to 9 years in prison

A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to nine years in prison on fraud charges, in a ruling that will keep President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent out of active politics for years ahead, reports Reuters.

Navalny, who was also found guilty of contempt of court, is already serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges he says were trumped up to thwart his political ambitions.

Navalny, who the court also fined $11,535, has dismissed the latest criminal case against him as politically motivated and pleaded not guilty.