Moscow City Court registers prosecutors’ lawsuit that could outlaw Alexey Navalny’s political movement

The Moscow City Court has formally registered a lawsuit by the prosecutor’s office to ban Alexey Navalny’s political and anti-corruption network as “extremist.” Officials want the court to designate three organizations — the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation (both of which Russia’s Justice Ministry has already designated as “foreign agents”) and Navalny’s nationwide network of campaign offices — as illegal “extremist” groups. 

The court hasn’t yet formally accepted the lawsuit or set a date to review the claim.

Update. The Moscow City Court told RIA Novosti that the court proceedings on designating Navalny’s political and anti-corruption network as “extremist” will begin on Monday, April 26. Later in the day on Monday, FBK director Ivan Zhdanov reported that the case materials have been classified on the grounds that they contain state secrets.

In October 2019, Russia’s Justice Ministry added the Anti-Corruption Foundation to its registry of “foreign agents.” In July 2020, the group changed its legal status to the “Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation,” while maintaining its old name as a brand. The Anti-Corruption Foundation still exists as a legal entity. In fact, dissolving the organization would be impossible right now because of the enormous court-ordered debts it still holds.