Kremlin critic Navalny wins EU rights prize for his "immense bravery"

FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a screen via a video link during a hearing to consider his lawsuits against the penal colony over detention conditions there, at the Petushki district court in Petushki, Russia May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was awarded the European Parliament's annual human rights prize on Wednesday for his efforts to challenge President Vladimir Putin's grip on power.

Navalny, 45, who was poisoned in August 2020 by what Western nations said was a nerve agent, is serving a 2-1/2-year sentence for parole violations he calls trumped up. The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian officials over Navalny's poisoning and imprisonment.