Russia on Tuesday opened a new investigation into Alexei Navalny and increased pressure on one of Moscow’s most outspoken critics.
The Russian Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that it was launching the new fraud probe into allegations that it had misused $ 5 million in donations to its Anti-Corruption Foundation and other businesses.
Navalny’s establishment was the subject of a series of investigations by the Russian government, although he and his allies said the investigations were 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] The committee of inquiry said that these funds were intended only for the purposes of these foundations.
The body specifically accused Navalny of spending more than $ 4.8 million on personal expenses, and the money stolen, according to the commission of inquiry.
The announcement of the criminal investigation indicates an increase in Moscow’s efforts to put Navalny under pressure. Authorities have threatened to put Navalny in jail for failing to comply with his suspended sentence in an old case if he does not appear at a Tuesday hearing in Moscow. Navalny is currently in Germany undergoing treatment for his August poisoning and has been given ten hours’ notice to appear in court.
Moscow is apparently 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 efforts to silence him over his criticism of President Vladimir Putin
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“It was not that hard to predict. I said from the beginning … they would try to put me in jail because I did not die in the plane and then track down my assassins. Because I proved “Putin is behind this and he is a thief who is ready to kill those who refused to remain silent about his theft,” Navalny said on Tuesday.