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US State Department condemns recognizing Navalny’s foundation as extremist

The Moscow City Court ruled that the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation as well as the Navalny Headquarters public movement should be recognized as extremist organizations

WASHINGTON, June 10. /TASS/. The US Department of State condemned the Moscow City Court’s ruling on recognizing the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation (the non-profit NGOs recognized in Russia as foreign agents) as well as the Navalny Headquarters public movement as extremist organizations on Wednesday, according to the statement by US State Department Spokesman Ned Price.

According to him, the US foreign policy agency condemns "today’s decision by a Moscow court to designate as "extremist" three organizations affiliated with imprisoned opposition figure Aleksey Navalny."

The spokesman also criticized the 2017 Russian Supreme Court’s decision to recognize the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization and all regional religious organizations in its structure as an extremist organization.

On Wednesday, the Moscow City Court ruled that the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation (FZPG) as well as the Navalny Headquarters public movement should be recognized as extremist organizations, following a request from the Moscow City Prosecutor’s Office. The court’s press service emphasized that the court disbanded the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation NGOs and banned the Navalny Headquarters public movement. The press service pointed out that the ruling is subject to immediate execution in terms of shutting those organizations down.

Navalny, who previously received a suspended sentence over the Yves Rocher case and was recently imprisoned due to numerous probation violations, is currently serving time in Penal Colony number 2 in the Vladimir Region.

On April 20, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court declared the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization and all regional religious organizations in its structure an extremist organization. The extremist organization’s activities are outlawed in Russia.

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