Mass raids target Russian opposition leader Navalny, allies
Tue 15 October 2019:
Russian investigators have raided opposition offices across the country, in the latest move to increase pressure on government critic Alexei Navalny and his allies.
The raids on Tuesday, which investigators said were linked to suspicions of financial crimes, followed similar mass searches last month and came less than a week after Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) was declared “a foreign agent”.
Opposition leaders have denounced the moves as attempts to intimidate them after a summer of protests and significant losses suffered by Kremlin allies in a Moscow municipal election in September.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement that searches were under way at FBK offices in 30 Russian regions, as well as at residences of the group’s regional employees.
The committee has repeatedly accused Navalny’s foundation of financial crimes, including money laundering and accepting illegal donations, and has frozen its accounts.
Navalny’s group, which often publishes investigations into top state officials, said on Twitter that the raids started at 6am (03:00 GMT).
“The ‘law enforcement system of Russia’ is using all of its efforts to protect corrupt officials and bribe takers,” it said.
FBK employees said the foundation’s offices in Moscow were also being raided.
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