Russia: Opposition Activist’s Trial to Begin in April

The trial of the opposition activist Aleksei A. Navalny, who is accused of embezzling $500,000 from a timber company, will begin between April 15 and 19, and may be lengthy, court officials in Kirov now say. An aide to Mr. Navalny, Anna Veduta, said he had not been officially notified of the date. Mr. Navalny, the most recognizable face of the antigovernment protests that began in 2011, faces several criminal cases opened over the past year. In the embezzlement case, he is accused of organizing a conspiracy to steal timber from KirovLes, a state-owned company, while he served as an adviser to Kirov’s governor four years ago. Mr. Navalny has said he expects to be sent to prison.