MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI) – Russian opposition stalwart Alexei Navalny, his brother Oleg have appealed against the sentence handed down in the Yves Rocher embezzlement case, attorney Vadim Kobzev told RAPSI on Monday.

In late December of 2014, Alexei Navalny received a suspended sentence of 3.5 years, and his brother Oleg was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. The brothers were also ordered to pay out 4.4 million rubles (about $76,000) to the Multidisciplinary Processing Company which claimed damage.

The defense added that the court failed to properly explain the differnce between sentences, after going through the motive part of the verdict given to the Navalny’s defense. Kobzev says that the motive part contains standard and vague reasons to support the sentence.

Navalny and his brother Oleg were convicted of fraud involving cosmetics company Yves Rocher Vostok. Investigators alleged that the Navalny brothers embezzled up to 26 million rubles (about $457,700) from the cosmetics company, as well as close to 4 million rubles ($70,600) from the Multidisciplinary Processing Company by way of a fraud scheme. The brothers were further charged with having laundered 21 million rubles ($370,500).

Alexei Navalny is a Russian political and public figure, leader of the Party of Progress. He ran for Moscow mayor and is the author of one of the most popular political blogs that was banned for promoting unauthorized public protests.