The widely anticipated sentencing came despite massive protests across Russia as demonstrators called for his release.

Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics, was arrested on January 17th for alleged parole violations after returning from Germany, where he had been recovering from being poisoned with a military grade nerve agent.

In a fiery speech to the court and of all the alleged, he was jailed because he is Vladimir Putin's main political rival and also said the Russian leader will go down in history as a poisoner, saying Putin's Onley method to hold power is quote killing people.

However much he pretends to be a great geo politician, he'll go down in history as a poisoner, Navalny said.

Russian state security agents had put the poison in his underpants, something the Kremlin denied Tuesday.

Sentencing is likely to further strain relations with the West.

The United States, Britain and Germany urged Moscow to immediately free Navalny, with US Secretary of State's Antony Blinken saying Washington would coordinate closely with allies.

Toe hold Russia accountable.

Navalny's supporters urged people to gather in central Moscow.

The riot police had already taken a position.