Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny says his jailed brother's request for early release has been rejected by prison authorities.
In a Twitter posting on June 27, Navalny quoted the ruling of the Uritsky district court in the Oryol region, saying that "Oleg Navalny's request for release on parole was rejected."
Oleg Navalny, along with brother Aleksei, was found guilty in December 2014 of large-scale theft from two Russian firms between 2008 and 2012 and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Aleksei Navalny was handed a 3 1/2 year suspended sentence at the time.
Both brothers rejected the charges as politically motivated.
Officials at the labor colony where Oleg Navalny is serving his term did not back his early release, arguing that he routinely violated the penitentiary's rules.