French cosmetics firm Yves Rocher has withdrawn its fraud claim against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, potentially jeopardizing criminal proceedings due to open Thursday, according to the anti-Kremlin activist and blogger.
A scanned copy of a letter purportedly from Yves Rocher to the Investigative Committee was posted on Navalny's blog Tuesday, according to which the cosmetics giant has retracted its claim that a company linked to Navalny defrauded it of 27 million rubles ($750,000).
The case was opened in 2012 against Navalny and his brother Oleg. Investigators accused Glavpodpiska, which they said was linked to the brothers, of defrauding Yves Rocher by providing freight transportation services at above-market prices.
In the letter, whose authenticity could not immediately be verified, Yves Rocher said that Glavpodpiska had provided services at prices that were lower than many competitors and denied that it had incurred any damages.
Navalny said on his blog that the Investigative Committee had forbidden him from commenting on the Yves Rocher case under the terms of his house arrest, which was ordered over the same case. He said the prohibition was intended to prevent him from publishing Yves Rocher's statement and that he was intentionally breaking the ban.
"Now I'm openly and officially saying that I don't give a damn about any bans and gagging orders," he wrote. "I don't give a damn about my house arrest possibly being changed to imprisonment. I won't be silent and, even if I don't prove anything to the court, I'll do my best to prove this to you."
The case, whose first hearing is slated for Thursday, is likely to go ahead, as a second company, MPK, has also filed a complaint against Glavpodpiska.
See also:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
