Support The Moscow Times!

One in Three Russians Supports Criminal Cases Against Navalny Allies – Poll

Alexei Navalny. Moskva News Agency

Almost one-third of Russians support police raids and criminal cases against prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s allies, according to a survey from the independent Levada Center pollster published Tuesday.

Police have carried out mass nationwide raids against Navalny’s associates and frozen a number of bank accounts in recent months as part of a criminal investigation into money laundering. Authorities also blacklisted Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which has published a series of embarrassing video investigations alleging graft within Russia’s elite, as a “foreign agent” last month.

Some 18% of Levada’s respondents said the authorities are trying to protect Russia from foreign “agents of influence” while 12% said the state is combating money laundering, according to the poll published by the Vedomosti newspaper.

Another 18% of the respondents said the authorities carry out raids and launch criminal charges to suppress independent anti-corruption investigations. Overall, almost half of the respondents said they have heard about the raids and the money-laundering case.

Observers have attributed police raids and money-laundering charges to punishment for anti-government protests that gripped Moscow over the summer, and a local vote where pro-Putin candidates lost several seats

One-quarter of Russian respondents said they view Navalny’s activities negatively, while 9% viewed them positively, according to Levada’s results. Another 31% said they were either indifferent or unaware of Navalny’s activities.

Levada conducted the survey among 1,616 respondents in 50 Russian regions from Oct. 24-30.

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