All news

Russian blogger Navalny indicted over Anti-Corruption Foundation case

The Russian Investigative Committee continues to probe the criminal case launched into an offense qualified under Article 239 Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code which is the creation of a non-profit organization that puts citizens’ lives in danger and infringes on their rights

MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. Investigators have brought new charges against Russian blogger Alexei Navalny for creating an organization (Anti-Corruption Foundation) that endangers people and infringes on their rights, spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko told TASS.

"The Russian Investigative Committee continues to probe the criminal case launched into an offense qualified under Article 239 Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code which is the creation of a non-profit organization that puts citizens’ lives in danger and infringes on their rights. Alexei Navalny has been indicted for committing this crime," she said.

According to the investigation, Navalny established a non-profit organization that operated as a foreign agent, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was considered extremist and shut down in Russia. Navalny headed the organization together with Ivan Zhdanov, Leonid Volkov and other individuals from 2011. The committee believes that the foundation’s activity was fraught with inciting people to commit various offenses.

Investigators suggest that Navalny, Volkov, Zhdanov and other people were posting on behalf of the organization they led on their personal accounts on social media platforms. The posts contained calls to Russian citizens to take part in unauthorized protest rallies in January 2021. "At the same time, Navalny was fully aware of the illegal nature of the planned rallies in light of the restrictions imposed and the lack of a greenlight from the authorities. Navalny realized that people participating in unauthorized rallies would be held administratively liable. The investigation continues," Petrenko added.

The maximum punishment under Article 239 of the Russian Criminal Code is three years behind bars.