State prosecution contests Navalny brothers' sentences in Yves Rocher case - source
MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax) - The State Prosecutor has lodged an appeal with the Moscow City Court contesting the sentences given by a lower court to the Navalny brothers, Alexei and Oleg, in the so-called Yves Rocher case, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax on Tuesday.
"The sentences given by the Zamoskvoretsky District Court to the Navalny brothers have been contested. The Moscow City Court has been asked to overturn these sentences because they are too lenient," he said.
Zamoskvoretsky Court spokesperson Yulia Petrova has confirmed that the Prosecutor's Office contested the sentences handed down to Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny and his brother Oleg for fraud committed against the Russian subsidiary of the French cosmetics company Yves Rocher.
"Today, the court received an appeal contesting the sentences of Oleg and Alexei Navalny," she told Interfax.
The sentences received by the Navalny brothers in the Yves Rocher case were earlier appealed by their defense team.
Both appeals will be handled by the Moscow City Court, Petrova said.
The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow gave Navalny a suspended prison term of 3.5 years and his brother Oleg Navalny got a 3.5-year sentence in a medium security penal colony. The court also ruled that, before the judgment takes effect, Alexei Navalny has to remain under house arrest. Oleg Navalny was taken into custody in the court hall.
The Navalny brothers had been charged with massive fraud and legalization of proceeds of the French cosmetic firm Yves Rocher and the Multiprofile Processing Company.
Prosecutors asked for a ten-year sentence for Alexei Navalny and for an eight-year sentence to his brother Oleg.