A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison for more than two-and-a-half years. The court ruled that he violated the terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning. The ruling ignited protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Navalny, who is the most prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, had denounced the proceedings as a vain attempt by the Kremlin to scare millions of Russians into submission. The ruling came despite massive protests across Russia over the past two weekends and Western calls to free the 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner. Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany after undergoing treatment for poisoning.