Russia opens felony case in opposition to best friend of Kremlin critic Navalny

Russia introduced a felony case on Friday in opposition to Lyubov Sobol, an best friend of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, over accusations she had violently entered a flat that her supporters stated was once related to a undercover agent inquisitive about plot to kill Navalny.

The transfer in opposition to Sobol is the newest in a clampdown at the Kremlin’s warring parties earlier than subsequent yr’s parliamentary election. Sobol targets to run for place of business, even though outspoken critics of the Kremlin are incessantly averted from status.

Sobol was once detained for 48 hours after wondering, Navalny, one of the most Kremlin’s fiercest warring parties, wrote on Twitter.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles critical crimes, stated on its site on Friday it had introduced a felony case in opposition to Sobol. It didn’t point out any detention.

Sobol’s supporters and the government gave other accounts of occasions main as much as Friday’s movements.

Her supporters stated she rang the doorbell on Monday of an rental owned via the circle of relatives of a person who Navalny has stated was once an FSB safety provider officer inquisitive about a bungled try to poison him the usage of a nerve agent.

The FSB has brushed aside Navalny’s account of the poisoning.

In its account, the Investigative Committee stated Sobol and several other others attempted to realize access to an previous girl’s flat in Moscow, dressed in uniforms utilized by the state client well being watchdog.

It accused her of tricking a supply courier to go into the rental block earlier than barging into the lady’s flat when she opened the door. It stated Sobol was once suspected of the usage of violence to go into illegally, an offence that may lift a prison time period of as much as two years.

Navalny wrote on Twitter: “They’re locking up the mum of a small kid for 2 days to inform everyone: do not dig into this situation. Do not dare to debris with our killers and poisoners and knock on their doorways. Those killers are untouchable.”

Germany and different Western countries say Navalny was once poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent in a homicide try. The Kremlin has again and again denied the accusations.

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