Navalny made his first public appearance since ending his three-week hunger strike on Friday. It was in relation with an appeal of a conviction for wrongly defaming a WWII veteran.
“I’m just a creepy skeleton,” the arrested anti-corruption activist, Putin’s most vocal critic, told the court via video link.
Navalny, who has a shaved head and wears a blue prison uniform, announced that he has resumed eating and that he now weighs 72 kilograms.
“I weighed this much in seventh grade,” the 44-year-old said.
Navalny’s Court Appearance
His presence coincides with the announcement by his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) which is closing its network of offices following a court order earlier this week.
Earlier this month, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office filed a court petition to declare the foundation a terrorist organization.
“The networks of Navalny’s headquarters doesn’t exist anymore, but there are dozens of strong and tough regional politicians, thousands of his supporters, there are strong and independent political organizations which will work on investigations and elections, public campaigns and rallies. You will help them, and they will succeed.”
Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s
In 2011, he founded the non-profit foundation to expose Russian corruption. Last September, some of his supporters were elected to local and regional seats.
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