Investigators have summoned for questioning the father of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, telling him to bring two unspecified others with him, Navalny said Friday.
Investigators contacted 66-year-old Anatoly Navalny using his personal e-mail address on Thursday evening, telling him that he should appear at the Investigative Committee's headquarters on Friday at 10 a.m., the anti-corruption campaigner wrote on Twitter.
When Alexei Navalny requested for investigators to provide his father with an official summons, investigators threatened to "bring him in," the Lenta.ru news portal reported, adding that Navalny's parents are preparing a legal complaint over investigators' actions.
It was not immediately clear why investigators want to question Anatoly Navalny, whose son Alexei has a total of five criminal cases open against him. Alexei Navalny is currently standing trial in an embezzlement case in the provincial city of Kirov over allegations that he stole 16 million rubles (over $530,000) worth of timber while working as an aide to the Kirov region governor in 2009.
Navalny denies guilt in all five cases, saying the charges against him are politically driven.
Neither is it clear whom Navalny's father is meant to bring with him to questioning, although Navalny suspects that investigators want him and his brother Oleg to accompany their father.
Alexei and Oleg Navalny have been accused of defrauding a local branch of cosmetics maker Yves Rocher of 55 million rubles ($1.8 million).
Thursday's summons isn't the first time that Navalny's parents have been targeted by authorities. In August, investigators raided the family business — a willow-weaving factory in the Moscow region — apparently looking for evidence against Alexei Navalny.
Related articles:
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.
Remind me later.