Russian court has suspended activities of organizations linked to Alexei Navalny, the biggest opponent of Vladimir Putin

Russian justice ordered on Monday the suspension of activities of related organizations by detained opponent Alexéi Navalny, which one could declare “extremists”, indicated one of its principal collaborators.

“The activities of the Navalny and Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) offices were immediately suspendedIvan Zhdanov, director of FBK, wrote on Twitter. Jnanov accompanied his tweet with photographs of this decision taken pending a trial that could permanently ban the group’s activities. “They are simply shouting: we are afraid of their activities, we are afraid of their demonstrations, we are afraid of their voting slogans,” he added.

For its part, Navalni’s Moscow office said on Telegram that it could no longer “work in the old format”, following this court ruling. “It would be too dangerous for our employees and our supporters,” he said, promising that “they will continue to fight in their personal capacity against corruption, against the ruling United Russia party and against President Vladimir Putin. “It will not be easy to fight, but we will win absolutely, because there are many of us and we are strong,” said the opponent’s Moscow office.

The prosecution’s request to declare the organizations as “extremist” is still pending, a measure that would put groups on the same level as ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban, from the point of view of the state. If this happens, even wearing a T-shirt with his image could be banned and donating to the opposition leader’s organizations would amount to supporting terrorists, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison. “It would be one of the most serious attacks on freedom of expression in post-Soviet history,” Amnesty International said.

The prosecution accuses these organizations of seeking “to create the conditions for the destabilization of the social and socio-political situation” in Russia, “hiding in liberal slogans”.

Russian authorities have already banned Navalny and many of his allies from running for office and made repeated calling or participating in unauthorized protests a crime. Many went into exile to avoid prison.

Navalny, poisoned by a chemical nerve agent in August and jailed in February, on Friday announced the end of his hunger strike started 24 days ago to denounce his conditions of detention, raising serious concerns about his health and tensions between Russia and the West. On Thursday, Navalny’s doctors urged him to end his hunger strike as soon as possible to preserve his life and health, fearing “considerable damage” if he continued the protest.

“I am not withdrawing my request to see the right doctor, I am losing the sensitivity of certain parts of my hands and my legs (…) Given this development and these circumstances, I am starting to put an end to to my hunger strike, ”Navalny wrote, in a post on his Instagram account.

(With information from AFP)

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