Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Alexei Navalny with creating an organization that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens

Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation presented accusation against the leader of the opposition Alexei Navalny under Part 2 of Art. 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (creation of a non-profit organization that infringes upon the personality and rights of citizens).

According to investigators, Alexei Navalny created the Anti-Corruption Fund and headed it since 2011 together with Ivan Zhdanov, Leonid Volkov and “other persons”. “The activities of the fund were associated with the inducement of citizens to commit illegal acts,” the investigative department says.

“Navalny, Volkov, Zhdanov and other persons organized the distribution on their personal pages on the Internet and on the pages of the FBK on behalf of the non-profit organization headed by them, publications containing calls for the participation of citizens of the Russian Federation in uncoordinated rallies in January this year. At the same time, Navalny was reliably aware in advance of the unlawful nature of the planned measures in connection with the current restrictions and without the consent of the authorities on their implementation. Navalny realized that for participation in uncoordinated rallies, administrative responsibility is provided, ”the press release says.

Article 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is rarely used in Russia; as a rule, cases under this article are brought against the leaders and active participants of totalitarian religious sects. The second part of this article provides for a penalty of up to three years in prison.

Article 239 was supplemented by part 2 in the summer of 2012; this was just one of the changes introduced into Russian legislation by a draft law that was intended to regulate the activities of “non-profit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent.” It was after the adoption of this bill that the leading human rights organizations of Russia were included in the register of “foreign agents”. Then the same fate befell FBK.

On January 23, 31 and February 2, protest actions were held throughout Russia demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny from jail. More than 10,000 people were detained during the protests. On April 29, against Alexei Navalny, who was already in the colony, as well as Volkov and Zhdanov who had left Russia, the RF IC initiated a criminal case on the creation of a non-profit organization that infringes upon the personality and rights of citizens.

On Tuesday, August 10, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported about the initiation of another criminal case against the ex-head of Navalny’s Headquarters Leonid Volkov and the former head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) Ivan Zhdanov, as well as “other persons”. Earlier, both of these organizations, created by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, were recognized by the Russian authorities as extremist.

Companions of Navalny are suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (collection of funds and provision of financial services, deliberately intended to finance an extremist organization). “Realizing that these organizations were recognized as extremist, Volkov and Zhdanov announced the continuation of their illegal activities and organized a fundraiser, urging an unlimited number of people to support Navalny’s Team and fund them by donating at the link indicated by them. In addition, they reported on the methods of transferring funds and cryptocurrencies in conditions of secrecy and anonymity of the donor from law enforcement agencies, ”the RF IC noted.