Russian court says opposition leader must retract investigative report about corruption in National Guard

A Moscow arbitration court has ordered opposition leader Alexey Navalny to take down an August report that pointed to insider negotiations between Russia’s National Guard and a Crimean meat processing company. Interfax reported that “Druzhba Narodov” (“Friendship of Nations”) sued Navalny after his Anti-Corruption Foundation accused the company of selling food to the National Guard at inflated prices after becoming its only food provider.

Viktor Zolotov, the director of the National Guard, initially responded to the Anti-Corruption Foundation’s report by challenging Navalny to a duel. Navalny responded by challenging Zolotov to a public debate. Zolotov also sued Navalny himself for one million rubles (more than $15,000), but his lawsuit was rejected on technical grounds.