Aide to Opposition Leader Has Jail Sentence Extended

Leonid Volkov could now stay in detention until September.

June 10, 2019

Leonid Volkov organized protests against the raising of the pension age last year. Donat Sorokin / TASS

An aide to opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been detained on the same day he was set to be released from jail for organizing nationwide protests last year against an unpopular government decision to raise the pension age.

Leonid Volkov could now stay in prison until September 9, the Mediazona online news site reported, citing Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Leonid Volkov had spent 20 days in jail for the September 2018 protests, which took place in eight different Russian cities. At the time, Volkov had been outside Russia.

Volkov is a 2018 Yale University world fellow.

Update: A Moscow court has sentenced Volkov to 15 more days in jail for the anti-pension reform protest organized in St. Petersburg, Mediazona reported Monday.

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