Putin critic Aleksei Navalny faces 15 more years in prison as new trial starts in Russia

Aleksei Navalny urged supporters to fight for Democracy in Russia as his show trial began inside the penal colony close to Moscow where he is being held.

Video footage showed Navalny embracing his wife Yuliya Navalnaya for the first time in five months after she demanded access to the closed-door proceedings.

The Vladimir Putin critic could face 15 more years in prison if found guilty over embezzlement charges.

During the trial, Navalny repeated claims that his requests for medical assistance were being ignored by guards and that he was being 'tortured' with sleep deprivation.

Sign up to our newsletters.