Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Rights Group Names Kremlin Opponent Navalny's Brother a Political Prisoner

Brothers Oleg, left, and Alexei Navalny at a Dec. 30 sentencing hearing.

The human rights organization Memorial said Thursday that Oleg Navalny, brother of the prominent political activist Alexei Navalny, is a political prisoner and called for his release from jail.  

The advocacy group said in an online statement that the Navalny brothers' prosecution for embezzlement at the end of last year was "politically motivated and illegal."  

"In the prosecution there is a clear political motive: to stop the public activity of Alexei and the threats that his activities create for the current government," Memorial said in the statement.  

The Navalny brothers were convicted on Dec. 30 of embezzling money during business transactions with French cosmetics company Yves Rocher, accusations that Memorial has denounced as "manifestly absurd."  Alexei Navalny was given a suspended sentence of three-and-a-half years while his brother was sent to prison for the same period.  

Memorial, which last year declared Alexei Navalny himself a political prisoner when he was put under house arrest over the Yves Rocher case, said there was no proof of a criminal offense having been committed, and that none of the alleged victims had presented any claims in a criminal trial initiated by Russia's Investigative Committee.  

Alexei Navalny, a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and runner-up in Moscow's 2012 mayoral elections, has been accused on four occasions by Russian authorities of fraud or embezzlement relating to his business activities, according to Memorial.  His younger brother Oleg is a former Russian post office employee who is not known for political activism. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more