In a so-called “sanitary case”, a Moscow court on Friday sentenced Navalny’s fellow Nikolai Laskin to one year in prison. The restrictions imposed on him provide for him to be at home from 10 pm to 6, banned from participating in mass events and leaving Moscow and the Moscow region.
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This week, in the framework of this case, a Moscow court also sentenced Lubova Soboly, a lawyer of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) founded by Navalny, to deprivation of liberty for a year and a half.
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In December 2014, a Moscow court found the Navalalin brothers guilty of fraud and robbery of Yves Rocher’s assets, sentenced Alexei Navalny to three and a half years in prison and five years in prison, and his brother Oleg to three and a half years in a general colony.
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Oleg has already served his prison sentence and was released in 2018, but in February of this year the court changed the suspended prison sentence imposed on Alexei to a real one. The politician is currently in a colony in the city of Pokrov in the Vladimir region. He should be released in early August 2023.
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On January 23, uncoordinated protests by the authorities in support of Navalny took place in Moscow and several other Russian cities.
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After the actions, law enforcement agencies initiated several criminal cases, including violations of sanitary-epidemiological norms, use of violence against the authorities, and hooliganism.
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In connection with these criminal cases, Navalny’s closest associates, including his brother, as well as political activists, were detained or searched.
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Human rights defenders point out that the Russian authorities are very selective in their assessment of the protesters’ actions.
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Many mass events of supporters of power have taken place in Moscow, but no charges have been brought against their participants, activists point out.
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In the “sanitary case”, the accused categorically reject the accusations and explain that their purpose is to obstruct their participation in the State Duma elections.
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In June, Sobolis announced that he was withdrawing his intention to run in the upcoming Duma elections in September.
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Sobolis has made this decision following a Moscow court ruling declaring Navalny-affiliated organizations extremist, thus preventing their members from running in any election.
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In justifying his decision, Sobolis said he could not guarantee the safety of his campaign supporters, employees and sponsors, who could be prosecuted for “supporting extremism.”
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