Posted 2 years ago
Russian authorities on Monday ordered the offices of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny to suspend their activities pending a court ruling on whether they should be outlawed as an extremist group. The injunction from the Moscow prosecutor's office was another step in a sweeping crackdown on Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic, and his organizations. The prosecutor's office petitioned a court earlier this month to label Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption and network of regional offices as extremist groups.
Moscow City Court is expected to rule in the coming days on the request to officially outlaw the backbone of Mr Navalny's political movement - the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) - on the grounds that it is an extremist group.
The ruling could mean authorities would have the legal power to arrest and jail Mr Navalny's supporters and block their bank accounts simply for being activists in the foundation. The group's lawyer said the group would continue its work, including investigations into corruption, adding that it was "not going to give up".
Mr Navalny, 44, was arrested earlier this year and is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a prison some 60 miles (97km) east of Moscow.
Topic: World News
Tags: Alexei Navalny