The United States condemned the decision of the Russian authorities to classify as “extremist organization” several organizations including that of the opponent of the Kremlin, Alexeï Navalny, fighting against corruption. This classification which leads to the dissolution of organizations comes a few months before legislative elections in the country.
Washington on Wednesday commented on Moscow’s recent decision as “particularly worrying”, especially for employees of these organizations who could now be accused of criminals.
In a statement, US diplomacy spokesman Ned Price said “this decision places employees, volunteers and thousands of supporters across Russia at risk of criminal prosecution and incarceration for the exercise of fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Russian Constitution ”.
Washington reiterated its call for the “immediate and unconditional” release of Alexei Navalny, imprisoned on his return from Germany, a stay for treatment related to his poisoning in Russia during a campaign trip.
Alexeï Navalny, 45, is sentenced to two and a half years in prison in connection with a fraud case dating from 2014, for which he was granted parole. But his move to Germany for treatment after his poisoning was ruled as a violation of his parole conditions, which earned him imprisonment.
Currently, the number 1 enemy of the Kremlin, is serving a sentence in a penal colony in which he had started a hunger strike to denounce the deterioration of his state of health and to demand treatment.
Following the Russian court’s decision to classify his organization, the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK), which is investigating Russian oligarchs as extremists, the opponent said on Instagram that he “will not back down”. His movement, which was growing in the country, came under several pressure from the government, leading to the exile of its supporters.
“It was recognized that these organizations not only voluntarily disseminated information inciting hatred and hostility towards the representatives of power, but also committed extremist crimes and offenses”, told reporters a representative of the prosecution, Alexei Jafiarov. , after the announcement of the decision.
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