Russia orders suspension of Alexei Navalny’s organization

 

Russia orders suspension of Alexei Navalny’s organization

 

Kremlin critic’s movement could be labeled ‘extremist’ by a court.

 

BY EVA HARTOG

April 26, 2021 1:37 pm

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-orders-suspension-of-alexei-navalnys-organization/

 

MOSCOW — Russian prosecutors on Monday suspended the activities of Alexei Navalny’s political organization ahead of a court ruling that could see the Kremlin critic’s movement branded “extremist.”

 

Documents shared by Navalny’s legal team state that his organization will not be allowed to publish material online, hold gatherings or participate in elections.

 

The order comes after prosecutors earlier this month requested a court label groups associated with Navalny as extremist. Such a ruling would effectively push Russia’s only significant opposition movement underground and put hundreds at risk of prosecution. Organizers of “extremist” activity in Russia face a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

 

Navalny ally Leonid Volkov said via messaging service Telegram that the move was made “so that we don’t publish investigations, organize protests or participate in elections. At any price.” He added that the team would announce its response in the coming days.

 

Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), known for its bombshell investigations into the corrupt practices of Russian officials, is also part of the extremism case.

 

Ahead of a preliminary hearing on Thursday, a Moscow court on Monday also ruled to curb the FBK’s activities, including freezing its bank accounts and a ban on publications. “The court effectively halted the work of FBK [and will do so formally on Thursday],” according to Volkov.

 

The FBK in January published a YouTube investigation into an opulent estate allegedly built for Russian President Vladimir Putin that has since been viewed more than 116 million times.

 

“[The Russian authorities] are effectively yelling: we are afraid of your activities, we are afraid of your protests, we are afraid of your strategic voting,” FBK head Ivan Zhdanov said on Twitter following the order.

 

Last week, Navalny said he was ending his weeks-long hunger strike, one day after doctors warned he could die if he did not stop. In a post on his Instagram account on Friday, he said he would gradually come out of the hunger strike which had lasted for 24 days.

 

Navalny was arrested and sentenced to two and a half years in prison after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok, an attack he blames on the Russian state. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.