MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Igor Koleshnikov, the grandson of the World War II veteran Ignat Artyomenko who has become victim in a libel case against blogger Alexey Navalny, said in the court that Navalny’s supporters send death threats to his family.

"I’ve started receiving threats, people were expecting me near my house. Your fellows have leaked by [phone] numbers, addresses, what kindergartens do my children go to," Kolesnikov said, adding that neither himself, nor his grandfather filed any complaints against Navalny in the police.

In response, the blogger started yell at the witness and accusing him of participating in "fabrication of the case." In response, Kolesnikov denied all allegations and underscored that he only acts in defense of his grandfather.

"You squirm about like a snake on a frying pan," he told Navalny.

Navalny is being accused of libel, which carries a fine or obligatory community service. According to the investigators, on June 2, the blogger published a vide in his Telegram channel and Twitter account, in which World War II veteran Ignat Artyomenko expressed his position in support of the amendments to the Russian Constitution. The video was accompanied by Navalny’s comments, which, according to the investigators, "were knowingly false and damaged the honor and dignity of the veteran, undermined his reputation."

Navalny does not admit his guilt. Earlier, the court suspended the proceedings, but restored it after the blogger returned to Russia.