Support The Moscow Times!

Navalny Faces New 'Vandalism' Charges

Alexei Navalny. Team Navalny

Russian authorities have pressed fresh criminal charges against jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, according to a message shared on the activist’s official social media accounts Friday.

“I have no idea which word to use to describe my latest news. Whether it's sad, funny or absurd,” Navalny wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The jailed activist said that he was handed a letter from Russia’s Investigative Committee informing him of the new charges against him.

According to Russia’s Criminal Code, Navalny was charged with two counts of “vandalism,” a crime that is punishable by up to one year of hard labor for individuals and up to three years in prison for groups. 

“It means that they really initiate a new criminal case against me every three months. Rarely an inmate, confined to a solitary cell for over a year, has such a vibrant social and political existence,” Navalny said.

According to his allies, the new vandalism charges mark the 14th criminal case brought against Navalny. 

“Nevertheless, this seems to be a case of positive feedback, as scientists would say. If this Kremlin gang of corruptors, traitors and occupiers does not like something that I (we) do, then I am on [the] right path,” he continued.

Navalny was jailed in 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attack with Novichok, a Soviet-designed nerve agent. He and his allies blame the poisoning on the Kremlin, which has denied a role in the incident.

In August, a court handed him a 19-year jail term, accusing him of having created an organization that undermined public security by carrying out "extremist activities."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more