Apr 25, 2021 - World

Russia could move to ban Alexei Navalny's opposition networks

Ivana Saric

Alexey Navalny at a rally in 2019. Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A Moscow court is expected to ban opposition leader Alexei Navalny's political and anti-corruption networks on Monday, effectively labeling them as extremist organizations, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Often described as "the man Putin fears most," Navalny has been a thorn in President Vladimir Putin's side for years. If all goes to plan, Monday's ruling at closed-door court hearing will be "he most sweeping attempt to crush the Kremlin's greatest political threat," per the Post.

The big picture: Support for Navalny has galvanized mass anti-government protests many times in the past. Just last Wednesday Russian authorities arrested over 1,700 people who protested in support of Navalny.

Details: The evidence being used by the prosecution remains a mystery, but Navalny's legal team is expected to receive access to the evidence file shortly before the hearing.

If the court bans Navalny's networks as extremist organizations they will be put on par with Islamic State, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Selling paraphernalia from the groups (like magnets) or retweeting their previous videos about corruption among Russia's elite, could all become jailable offenses.

What they're saying: “It reminds me of Soviet trials when someone was declared a spy or foreign agent and then there would be a secret closed trial,” said Ivan Zhdanov, director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. “Putin is trying to take Russia back into the Soviet past.”

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Russia could move to ban Alexei Navalny's opposition networks

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