Navalny allies relaunch banned opposition movement
Moscow, Oct 4 (EFE).- Alexei Navalny’s banned political movement is set for a relaunch in Russia a year after it was branded an extremist organization and outlawed, senior aides to the jailed opposition activist announced Tuesday.
“Tens of thousands of people in Russia and Ukraine have already died, and if nothing is done now, hundreds of thousands more will die. Let’s do everything we can to prevent this,” the anti-corruption foundation (FBK) team said on social media.
“During Navalny’s presidential campaign, we created a huge regional network. We had dozens of headquarters across the country and thousands of volunteers. A year ago Putin, preparing for war, decided to destroy all this. But now we’re coming back!”
In June 10, 2021, Russia’s judiciary labeled Navalny’s platforms, the FBK and the Citizens’ Rights Defense Foundation (FZPG), as extremist organizations and made them illegal.
Anticipating this move, Navalny previously dissolved the nationwide networks to protect staff.
The relaunch of the movement comes amid partial mobilization in Russia as Vladimir Putin looks to bolster his invasion of Ukraine.
“We will confront Putin and his bloody war with Ukraine. Therefore, we will once again build a network of contacts across Russia,” the FBK said.
“We need everyone: artists, lawyers, hackers or just people ready to print and hand out leaflets. Anyone who understands that now you need to do your part to help others.”
Navalny remains a prominent dissenting voice in Russia from his cell in a high security prison outside Moscow, where he is serving a nine-year sentence for corruption charges he says are politically motivated.
In 2020, the Kremlin critic narrowly survived a nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on Putin. He received specialist treatment in Berlin but was arrested on his return to Russia for breaching bail conditions relating to older fraud charges. EFE
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