Sobol, ally of Kremlin critic Navalny, sentenced to a year of community service

Lyubov Sobol, a Russian opposition figure and a close ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, speaks with journalists upon her arrival at a court building in Moscow, Russia April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

MOSCOW (Bywire News) - On Thursday, a near ally of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, stated on Twitter that the Russian government has subjected her to community service for a year. Lyubov Sobol received the punishment as a result of trespassing on private property with the use of violence.

Her trial will take place amidst a Kremlin crackdown on the allies and supporters of Navalny, who had managed to organise several protests over his imprisonment earlier this year. Sobol's case is in relation to an incident that took place in December 2020.

(Reporting by Anton Zverev; Writing by Alexander Marrow and Klaudia Fior; Editing by Hugh Lawson)