Father of top Navalny aide facing more serious criminal charges

According to top Navalny aide Ivan Zhdanov, his father Yuri — who is currently in pre-trial detention — is now facing more serious criminal charges.

Yuri Zhdanov was remanded in custody in March on charges of abuse of office, in connection with his time as deputy head of the Iskateley township in Russia’s Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Now, as his son wrote on Instagram, Zhdanov senior stands accused of large-scale fraud and forgery by an official, and is facing 10 years in prison. “In essence, they want to send an elderly, 67-year-old person away for life imprisonment,” Ivan Zhdanov wrote. 

No new facts have been added to the case, Zhdanov junior underscored. He also said that his father’s trial should begin in the near future. 

In late March, Yuri Zhdanov was detained in the city of Rostov-on-Don and his home was searched. He was remanded in custody after being charged with abuse of office. State investigators maintain that during his time as deputy head of Iskateley, Zhdanov senior recommended a local woman and her family be allocated an apartment through social housing, when in fact, as it was later revealed, they were already receiving a housing subsidy. The housing contract was terminated as a result, and the apartment was returned to the local administration through the courts. 

Ivan Zhdanov, who is the director of Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (the FBK), believes that his political activities are the reason for the felony charges against his father.