A Russian court on Tuesday ordered the arrest in absentia of Yulia B. Navalnaya, the widow of Aleksei A. Navalny, who was a key figure in the country’s political opposition, accusing her of “participating in an extremist community.”The court order against Ms. Navalnaya, who left Russia in 2021, comes five months after her husband died under murky circumstances in a harsh Russian penal colony.
He was imprisoned after being convicted of various trumped-up charges when he returned to Russia after a near-fatal attempt to poison him in August 2020.
Ms. Navalnaya has repeatedly accused President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia of murdering her husband and has vowed to continue his opposition work.
The statement from the Basmanny District Court’s press office announcing the arrest order did not spell out the reason for the charges, but it appeared to be linked to her role in helping to run the Navalny opposition organization.
Although she avoided any overt political role while her husband was alive, Ms. Navalnaya has long led the advisory board of his Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Persons:
Yulia B, Aleksei A, Navalnaya, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr
Organizations:
Kremlin, Corruption
Locations:
Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Basmanny