Russia opens felony case towards ally of Kremlin critic Navalny

Russia launched a felony case on Friday towards Lyubov Sobol, an ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, over accusations she had violently entered a flat that her supporters stated was linked to a undercover agent concerned in plot to kill Navalny.
The transfer towards Sobol is the newest in a clampdown on the Kremlin’s opponents earlier than subsequent yr’s parliamentary election. Sobol goals to run for workplace, though outspoken critics of the Kremlin are sometimes prevented from standing.
Sobol was detained for 48 hours after questioning, Navalny, one of many Kremlin’s fiercest opponents, wrote on Twitter.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles critical crimes, stated on its web site on Friday it had launched a felony case towards Sobol. It didn’t point out any detention.
Sobol’s supporters and the authorities gave totally different accounts of occasions main as much as Friday’s actions.
Her supporters stated she rang the doorbell on Monday of an condominium owned by the household of a person who Navalny has stated was an FSB safety service officer concerned in a bungled try and poison him utilizing a nerve agent.
The FSB has dismissed Navalny’s account of the poisoning.
In its account, the Investigative Committee stated Sobol and several other others tried to achieve entry to an previous girl’s flat in Moscow, sporting uniforms utilized by the state shopper well being watchdog.
It accused her of tricking a supply courier to enter the condominium block earlier than barging into the girl’s flat when she opened the door. It stated Sobol was suspected of utilizing violence to enter illegally, an offence that may carry a jail time period of as much as two years.
Navalny wrote on Twitter: “They are locking up the mother of a small child for two days to tell everybody: don’t dig into this case. Don’t dare to mess with our killers and poisoners and knock on their doors. These killers are untouchable.”
Germany and different Western nations say Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent in a homicide try.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the accusations.