Russia Issues Warrant Against Wife Of Putin's Key Opponent Alexei Navalny

Russia issued an arrest warrant for the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Yulia Navalnaya, accusing her of participating in an 'extremist organisation'.

Russia issued an arrest warrant for the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Yulia Navalnaya, accusing her of participating in an 'extremist organisation'.

Source : X/@ValerieHayer

A court in Russia on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Yulia Navalnaya, accusing the exiled opposition figure of participating in an "extremist organisation". Alexei Navalny was a Russian leader and President Vladimir Putin's main opponent who died in an Arctic prison in February.

The court said it had "approved the request of the investigators and decided a preventive measure in the form of detention for two months," as quoted by news agency AFP. Navalnaya has vowed to continue the work of her husband. She slammed the warrant in a statement and said, "Vladimir Putin is a killer and a war criminal. He belongs in prison," as quoted by AFP.

The allegations were also dismissed by the activist's team. In a post on X, Yulia Navalnaya said, "When you write about this, please do not forget to write the main thing: Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a war criminal.”

Navalnaya "was arrested (in absentia!) for 'being a member of an extremist community' by the infamous Basmanny Court of Moscow," wrote Leonid Volkov, Navalny's former chief of staff, on X. "Quite a recognition of Yulia's determination to continue Alexei’s fight!" he further stated.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday also criticised Moscow’s move, calling the arrest order a "warrant against the desire for freedom and democracy" in a post on X. Navalny's organisations have been outlawed in Russia, labelled an "extremist" group, and put on an official "terrorist" list, as reported by AFP.

Navalnaya extended all her support to her husband as he galvanised mass protests in Russia. She flew him out of the country when he was poisoned before defiantly returning to Moscow with him in 2021, aware that he would be jailed.

After his death, Navalnaya took a vow to take up her husband's work and has lobbied against Vladimir Putin's government from abroad. During the Russian elections in March, Navalnaya called for mass protests against the Russian President by forming long queues outside voting stations.