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Navalny’s Case Reopened

The Investigative Committee canceled an earlier decision of its Kirov region branch to close the case against lawyer and prominent whistleblowing blogger Alexei Navalny, Interfax reported Tuesday.

Navalny was suspected of causing more than 1 million rubles ($32,000) worth of damages to KirovLes, a state-owned timber company, but the case was dropped last week.

The committee’s central office ordered a new check to make sure that no investigators faced any pressure, the agency’s spokesman said without elaborating.

Navalny said on Ekho Moskvy that the move was allegedly revenge by Transneft and VTB, two targets of his exposures.

(MT)

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