A court in Moscow ordered on July 9 the arrest in absentia of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on charges of "participating in an extremist organization."
The court said that it had "approved the request of the investigators and decided a preventive measure in the form of detention for two months." Navalnaya currently lives outside of Russia, but would face jail time if she returns.
Following the death of her husband in a Russian prison colony behind the Arctic Circle in February, Navalnaya entered more into the public spotlight. She has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband and vowed to continue Navalny's work.
Prior to his death, a Moscow court had sentenced Navalny to another 19 years in prison in August 2023 after being convicted of "creating an extremist community," namely the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The EU, the U.S., and the U.K. criticized the court's sentence, saying it was politically motivated, and demanded the immediate release of Navalny.
Martin Fornusek
