Russian court orders Yulia Navalnaya’s arrest in absentia – Technologist

A court in Moscow on Tuesday ordered Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, arrested in absentia for two months.

The court accused Navalnaya, who lives outside Russia, of taking part in an “extremist” group. The decision means she would face certain arrest if she sets foot in the country.

Navalnaya, 47, has stepped into the spotlight following her husband’s death in an Arctic penal colony in February and said she will continue the fight for what Navalny called the “beautiful Russia of the future”.

“When you write about this, please don’t forget to write the main thing: Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a war criminal,” she wrote.

“His place is in prison, and not somewhere in The Hague … but in Russia – in the same [penal] colony and the same 2 by 3 metre cell in which he killed Alexei.”

The Kremlin has denied ordering Navalny’s death.

“We will take on board everything that can be useful to fight Putin, to fight for the beautiful Russia of the future,” Navalnaya said on X.

The activist’s team dismissed Russia’s allegations.

Navalnaya “was arrested [in absentia!] for ‘being a member of an extremist community’ by the infamous Basmanny court of Moscow”, wrote Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s former chief of staff, on X.

“Quite a recognition of Yulia’s determination to continue Alexei’s fight!” he wrote.

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‘Heartbreaking tragedy’: thousands gather to mourn Russian opposition leader Navalny

‘Heartbreaking tragedy’: thousands gather to mourn Russian opposition leader Navalny

Navalny’s organisations have been outlawed in Russia, labelled an “extremist” group and put on an official “terrorist” list.

Following his death, Navalnaya vowed to take up her late husband’s work and has lobbied against Putin’s government from abroad.

During Russian elections in March, Navalnaya called for mass protests against Putin by forming long queues outside voting stations.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse