Russia has opened 76 criminal cases over donations to Navalny-founded Anti-Corruption Foundation in past three years

Since Russia designated the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) an “extremist organization,” investigators have opened at least 76 criminal cases over donations to the group, according to a new investigation by Mediazona.

The Moscow City Court declared the FBK an “extremist” organization in June 2021, and the decision took effect on August 4 of that year. The first criminal cases were initiated a year later, in August 2022.

The number of cases tied to FBK donations is growing. In 2022, courts received two such cases; in 2023, four; and in 2024, 25. In the first seven months of 2025, Mediazona identified 34 new donation-related cases filed in Russian courts.

There are 49 known verdicts in these cases. Most did not result in prison time, with courts typically handing down large fines. Ten people have received prison sentences, including six in Moscow.

The day after the court’s decision formally took effect, Alexey Navalny’s team relaunched its crowdfunding campaign and began accepting donations through the Stripe payment system, which the foundation described as secure. However, it later emerged that some donations made on August 5 and 6 included references to the FBK, prompting several criminal investigations.

It was subsequently revealed that bank transaction records included Stripe’s merchant identifier (merchant ID) — the account reference used by law enforcement to link donations to FBK. As Mediazona notes, the merchant ID has now become the key piece of evidence in many cases related to the financing of “extremism.”