Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Authorities Investigating Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation

The Prosecutor General’s Office has begun an investigation into Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), Navalny reported on his personal website Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to FBK director Roman Rubanov, Deputy Prosecutor Boris Markov demanded that the FBK publish information on its sources of funding, expenditures, and cash flow statements for its accounts. Navalny posted a copy of the letter on his website.

“The sole source of FBK finances are the donations of Russian citizens. Several thousand people donated money to us, and it is directly reflected in all of our accounting,” Navalny said.

A report published on the FBK website says that the organization received 28.5 million rubles ($415,000) in 2014. The largest items of expenditure were 7.4 million rubles ($110,000) on office rent and 4.8 million rubles ($70,000) on wages.

An article published in the Washington Post newspaper on March 7, reporting the results of an FBK survey of attitudes in the Russian republics of Dagestan and Tatarstan toward Russian bombing in Syria, has been cited by the authorities as evidence of foreign financing, Navalny said on his website.

Police recently arrested a number of FBK employees, including Rubanov, who took part in protests outside the State Duma demanding the impeachment of President Vladimir Putin after the Panama leak, the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported.

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