Russia opened a new investigation into Alexei Navalny on Tuesday, putting pressure on one of Moscow’s most outspoken critics.
The Russian Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that it launched a new fraud investigation following allegations that he had misused $ 5 million in donations to his Anti-Corruption Foundation and other businesses.
Navalny’s foundation has been the subject of a series of investigations by the Russian government, although he and his allies have said the investigations are attempts to undermine the opposition movement.
“It was found that for the needs of a number of non-profit organizations, including the Anti-Corruption Foundation … more than 588 million rubles [$7.9 million] are collected from individuals as donations, “the Commission of Inquiry said.” These funds were solely for the purposes of these foundations. “
The body specifically accused Navalny of spending more than $ 4.8 million in personal expenses, money that the Commission of Inquiry said was “stolen.”
The announcement of the criminal investigation marks an escalation in Moscow’s efforts to pressure Navalny. Authorities threatened to jail Navalny for breaching his suspended sentence in an old case if he did not appear at a Tuesday session in Moscow. Navalny is currently in Germany where he is being treated for his August poisoning and was given ten hours notice to appear in court.
Moscow is believed to be behind the attack on the opposition leader in August, which followed similar poisonings by other Kremlin critics.
Navalny said in an Instagram post that the new cases against him were part of Moscow’s broader effort to silence him about his criticism of the president. Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Russia acknowledges that the death toll from COVID-19 is three times higher than previously reported. after the poisoning.
“This was not that hard to predict. I said from the beginning … they will try to jail me for not dying on the plane and then tracking down my hitmen. Because I proved Putin behind it and that he is one. thief willing to kill those who refused to keep quiet about his theft, ‘Navalny said Tuesday.