Russia’s Alexei Navalny faces extra 15 years in jail over ‘extremism’ claims

Political foe of Russian president Vladimir Putin was already sentenced to nine-year term earlier this year

The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is facing new criminal accusations that could extend his current prison term by 15 years.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Navalny said an investigator had visited him in prison to declare that the authorities had opened a new investigation against him on charges of creating an extremist group to fan hatred against officials and oligarchs" and trying to stage unsanctioned rallies.