In recent news, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny found himself sentenced to a three-and-a-half-year jail term in Moscow. This ruling comes as a result of his violation of the terms of a previously suspended sentence tied to a legal battle involving the renowned French cosmetics conglomerate, Yves Rocher, dating back to 2014. Let’s delve into this past controversy that has returned to haunt the French company.
The Guilty Verdict: Back in December 2014, Navalny faced a conviction and a suspended prison sentence of three and a half years. This was due to his alleged involvement in embezzling RUB26 million, a fraud case centered around Yves Rocher’s Russian subsidiary. Navalny’s brother, Oleg, was also implicated and received an identical sentence on charges of money laundering and fraud.
The Navalny brothers’ transportation firm, Glavpodpiska, had been under scrutiny by Russian authorities since late 2012. Despite Yves Rocher-Vostok’s acknowledgment in November 2014 that they had «suffered no damage» and their withdrawal of the complaint against unspecified individuals, the Navalny brothers faced convictions.
Suspension of Sentence Revoked: Navalny’s suspended sentence came with specific conditions, requiring him to report regularly to Russian police authorities until December 30, 2020. Violations of these terms emerged as Navalny was convalescing in Germany following a near-fatal poisoning attempt in August 2020. Upon his return to Russia in mid-January, he was detained for parole violations. Subsequently, on February 2, the court decided to revoke the suspension of his sentence. Navalny now faces approximately two and a half years in jail, with one year already served under house arrest.
A Controversial Case: In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling that the Navalny brothers had been deprived of a fair trial. They condemned the Russian court’s decisions as «arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable.» In 2018, the brothers filed a complaint and a criminal indemnification claim against Yves Rocher in Vannes, Brittany, citing «slanderous accusations.» Although the case was closed by the end of 2019, the brothers’ legal representatives lodged an appeal against the decision.
Navalny has vocally maintained that Yves Rocher was complicit in a politically motivated scheme, asserting that French justice should recognize this affair as a «complete political fabrication.» He has alleged that Yves Rocher’s actions played into the hands of Russian authorities.
Yves Rocher’s Response: Yves Rocher’s management has consistently defended their actions, stating that they suspected a scam at the time and engaged in «normal procedures,» even though subsequent investigations revealed these suspicions to be unfounded. In January, the company emphasized that the case was definitively «closed» and asserted that reopening it was «impossible.» Yves Rocher underscored its status as «an entirely apolitical company» and expressed no intention to «comment on the situation in Russia.»
Alexei Navalny’s French legal team, represented by William Bourdon and Amélie Lefebvre, has accused Yves Rocher of being «aware that its accusations were false» and pursuing the case to gain «commercial advantages» in the Russian market, where the company first established its presence in 1991.
