Russian court sets date for new trial of jailed Kremlin foe Navalny

MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow court has set the date for a new trial of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny that could keep him in prison for decades. The Moscow City Court held a preliminary hearing on Tuesday with the trial starting on June 19. Navalny’s spokeswoman said that the trial will be held at a maximum security prison 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow where Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court. Navalny has exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.