Alexei Navalny looks gaunt as he appears in court after hunger strike

Kremlin critic makes first public appearance since announcing he was gradually ending hunger strike

Alexei Navalny has made his first public appearance since holding a 24-day hunger strike, appearing gaunt but spirited during a courtroom appeal against a defamation conviction that he has called politically motivated.

A photograph released by the court showed Navalny, appearing by video link, with a shaved head and wearing a prison jacket. I am a creepy skeleton," said Navalny, who appeared in the courtroom on a video feed. I weighed this much in 7th grade."