OREANDA-NEWS. In the Babushkinsky Court of Moscow, where the case against the opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being heard, state prosecutor Ekaterina Frolova on Tuesday, February 16, asked to sentence the politician to a fine of 950 thousand rubles (about $13.000) on charges of libel (Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code) against the veteran of the World War II Ignat Artemenko, the DW correspondent reported. Navalny's defense asked for an acquittal for lack of evidence of a crime.

The Investigative Committee brought the case against Navalny because of his posts on Twitter and Telegram, dedicated to people who starred in the «Russia Today» video in support of amendments to the Constitution. Among those who starred in the video was Artemenko. Navalny, commenting on the video, called these people «a team of corrupt lackeys», «people without conscience» and «traitors».

The opposition leader had a direct intention «to distort the historical truth and discredit the memory of the Great Patriotic War», Frolova stressed, recalling the former sympathies of the opposition leader to nationalism and his participation in the «Russian Marches».

Sentencing in the libel case against Alexei Navalny is scheduled for February 20.