Russia steps up persecution, adds charges against Alexei Navalny: he could spend another decade in prison

Jailed Russian opponent Alexei Navalny faces new criminal investigation for “extremism”, felony punishable by 10 years in prison, in a new stage of the repression of their movement after the dismantling of their organizations.

The investigations against him and several close collaborators come after the legislative victory of Vladimir Putin’s party, after a campaign to exclude almost all anti-Kremlin candidates from the polls.

The Navalny supporters were unable to come forward after their organizations were banned and classified as “extremists.” in June.

Since the beginning of the year, Navalny is jailed for two and a half years for a fraud case. which he considers political.

The adversary and his allies are now accused of having “Created and led an extremist organization” through its Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) and eight other organizations.

He has also been accused since August of calling on his supporters to commit “illegal acts”, a felony punishable by three years in prison.

According to a statement from the commission of inquiry, in charge of the main investigations in Russia, Navalny and his allies have been accused of “creating and leading an extremist organization” which from 2014 to 2021 called for “a change of power through violence”.

According to investigators, the illegal demonstrations organized by the opposition and its allies involved “Calls for extremist and terrorist actions”.

The charges, which carry a 10 years in prison, they also appoint two of his close collaborators, Leonid Volkov e Ivan Zhdanov.

Other collaborators, including the Muscovite Lioubov Sobol, are accused of “Participation in an extremist organization”, punished by six years in prisonl, according to the same source.

Most of Navalny’s allies are abroad, after fleeing the repression of recent months in Russia, during which several of them were arrested or released on probation.

“Fear”

According to Ivan Zhdanov, these new accusations target “Extend the sentence” is currently serving Navalny, imprisoned since January, on his return to Russia after a poisoning of which he accuses the Kremlin.

According to Zhdanov, in statements to the online TV channel Go on, the authorities want to “scare” the collaborators and supporters of the main critic of the Kremlin.

“Everyone was wondering if the repression would decrease after the elections. Well, that’s the answer “Navalny’s spokesperson commented on Twitter, Kira yarmitch.

Despite his incarceration, Navalny continues to express himself periodically on social networks, in particular last week asking his supporters not to surrender despite the “theft” of the results of the legislative elections of September 19.

The 45-year-old anti-corruption activist rose to fame for his lifestyle research and the embezzlement of the Russian elite.

After being disqualified from participating in the elections, hehe electoral strategy of his supporters in the legislative elections consisted of convincing the Russians to “vote intelligently” choose the candidates best placed to beat those in the Kremlin, often the Communists.

(With information from AFP)

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