A court in Moscow ordered the arrest in absentia of Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on July 9, charging her with “participation in an extremist organization.”
The court stated it “approved the investigators’ request and decided on the preventive measure in the form of detention for two months.” Navalnaya currently resides outside of Russia but will face imprisonment if she returns.
Following her husband’s death in a Russian prison colony near the Arctic Circle in February, Navalnaya has become more prominent in the public eye. She has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband and vowed to continue Navalny’s work.
Before his death, a Moscow court had sentenced Navalny to an additional 19 years in prison in August 2023 after convicting him of “creating an extremist community,” specifically the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The EU, US, and UK criticized the court’s sentencing, calling it politically motivated and demanding Navalny’s immediate release.
