Support The Moscow Times!

Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Movement Disputes Georgia Relocation Reports

The Anti-Corruption Foundation is expected to be banned in Russia as an "extremist" organization in an upcoming court ruling. Sergei Fadeichev / TASS

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has countered reports that it plans to relocate to Georgia as it faces an “extremism” ban in Russia.

The RBC news website on Monday cited two unnamed sources familiar with FBK’s activities as saying that several key staffers and equipment have allegedly been moved to the Caucasus country. The report notes that the team plans to continue producing popular YouTube live streams and video investigations exposing alleged official corruption in Russia from Tbilisi.

“This fact is not hidden within the organization,” one of the sources was quoted as saying.

But Leonid Volkov, a senior Navalny aide living in exile, disputed the report as “fake news.” 

Volkov also denied previous reports by the independent video news website Sota.Vision that around 40 key FBK staffers had moved to Georgia and posted their new whereabouts on Instagram without identifying the location by name.

“We don’t interfere in the employees’ lives on weekends, it’s their personal business,” said FBK director Ivan Zhdanov, another exiled Navalny ally.

A Russian court last month ordered FBK to suspend its activities ahead of next week’s anticipated ruling designating it, along with Navalny’s now-dissolved nationwide network of regional headquarters, an “extremist” organization. 

FBK and the regional network’s anticipated “extremist” designations would paralyze Russia’s most dominant opposition force five months ahead of parliamentary elections where the pro-Putin ruling party seeks to overcome historically low approval ratings to keep its supermajority. The groups’ members could also face lengthy prison sentences in Russia if they continue working.

A number of Navalny staff have already fled the country under criminal charges.

Founded by Navalny in 2011 and declared a “foreign agent” in 2019, FBK has carried out high-profile investigations into alleged corruption among Russia’s ruling elite. A viral video into President Vladimir Putin’s alleged $1.3 billion palace fueled mass nationwide protests this winter.

Navalny, 44, is serving two and a half years in a notoriously harsh prison outside Moscow after being found guilty in February of violating parole in an old fraud case while recovering from a near-fatal poisoning abroad that he pins on Putin. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis 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