Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 9 years in jail Tuesday after being convicted of fraud in a trial he denounced as politically motivated.

He responded to the sentence on Twitter with a quote from the tv present The Wire.

"9 years. Properly, because the characters of my favourite TV sequence 'The Wire' used to say: 'You solely do two days. That is the day you go in and the day you come out'

I even had a T-shirt with this slogan, however the jail authorities confiscated it, contemplating the print extremist," the tweet learn.

Navalny, who was additionally convicted of contempt of court docket for allegedly insulting a choose in an earlier trial, is already serving 2 1/2 years for parole violations in a penal colony east of Moscow, in keeping with the Related Press. He can enchantment the ruling, however Russian President Vladimir Putin will see his high critic and foe behind bars for a very long time if the choice is upheld.

Navalny was additionally ordered by a choose to pay a roughly $11,500 wonderful, the equal of about 1.2 million rubles, AP reported.

The fraud conviction stemmed from allegations that Navalny embezzled funds from his basis, AP reported. The trial happened over the course of a couple of month in a makeshift courtroom within the penal colony, the place authorities moved the trial from a Moscow courthouse.

The transfer was decried by Navalny's supporters, who mentioned that his proponents and the media have had restricted entry to the proceedings.

The sentence was lower than the 13 years the prosecution had requested throughout closing arguments final week.

Navalny Conviction
Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 9 years in jail Tuesday after being convicted of fraud in a trial he denounced as politically motivated. Above, Navalny speaks throughout his trial at Penal Colony Quantity 2 on February 21, 2022, in Pokrov, Vladimir area, Russia.Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Photos

In one other tweet Tuesday, Navalny mentioned that he was "grateful" for the assist he is obtained, and mentioned that the most effective backing that he and different "political prisoners" may obtain is motion.

"Any exercise in opposition to the deceitful and thievish Putin's regime. Any opposition to those battle criminals," the tweet learn.

Navalny was arrested in January of 2021 and later imprisoned for the parole violations, which stemmed from an earlier fraud case. When he was arrested, he had simply returned to Russia from Germany, the place he mentioned he was recovering from a poisoning, AP reported.

Navalny accused the Kremlin of being behind the poisoning, however Russia has denied the allegations.

The arrest preceded a bigger crackdown on Navalny and his allies, a few of whom left Russia to keep away from felony prices. He and a few associates have been added this 12 months to Russia's registry for terrorists and extremists.

Newsweek has reached out to Putin's workplace for remark however didn't hear again by publication time.

Replace 3/22/22, 10:13 a.m. ET: This story was up to date with extra data and background.