MOSCOW, July 14./TASS/. Investigators with the Russian Investigative Committee are searching a number of locations associated with the former heads of blogger Alexey Navalny's Headquarters (recognized as extremist organizations in the Russian Federation) in Moscow and other cities in a case of financing an extremist organization, a law enforcement source told TASS on Friday.

"This morning searches began within the framework of the case involving participation in the activities of an extremist network at the places of the former heads of Navalny's Headquarters who financed his organization. Investigative actions are underway in Tambov, Moscow, Tver and Smolensk," the source said.

"Searches are being conducted within the framework of a criminal case under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code, one of which is participation in the activity of an extremist community," he specified.

According to the investigation, some time before 2014, Navalny, as the founder of FBK (Anti-Corruption Foundation, recognized as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation), set up and managed an extremist network with the goal of carrying out extremist activities aimed at changing the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, undermining public security and state integrity.

To facilitate the group’s activities, the organizers established eight non-profit organizations, set up as structural subdivisions of the network. In 2017, the public movement "Navalny Headquarters" was established in 37 regions of Russia. According to the investigation, FBK supporters gathered almost nine million rubles (about $100,000) to finance extremism and terrorism in Russia.

By decision of the Moscow City Court in the summer of 2021, FBK and Navalny's Headquarters were recognized as extremist organizations and liquidated. Their activities were outlawed in Russia.