Former Navalny activist jailed for two months pending trial for ‘creating an extremist group’

A district court in Ufa has jailed political activist Liliya Chanysheva for two months pending trial, her lawyer Vladimir Voronin reported on Wednesday, November 10.

Chanysheva is the former head of Alexey Navalny’s regional campaign office in Bashkiria. She was arrested on Tuesday as the first suspect in the criminal case opened against the imprisoned opposition leader and his close associates for “creating an extremist group.”  

During the remand hearing on Wednesday, an investigator claimed that Chanysheva may leave Russia and abscond from the investigation. In response to the motion to jail her pending trial, Chanysheva said she believes she’s “in an early stage of pregnancy,” her lawyer reported. 

Nevertheless, the court remanded her in custody until January 9, 2022. Chanysheva’s defense team intends to challenge the court’s decision. 

A Moscow court outlawed Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (the FBK), Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation, and national network of campaign offices as “extremist organizations” in June 2021. 

In September, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Navalny and his close associates for “creating an extremist group.” This case was later combined with other criminal cases launched against Navalny for alleged fraud and for allegedly creating a nonprofit organization that “infringes on the liberties and rights of Russian citizens.”