MOSCOW (RUSSIA) – A new criminal case has been registered against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, said Russian state investigators on Tuesday. They have accused him of fraudulently spending donations to his organisations on his personal needs.
Observers say this move by Moscow is aimed at preventing Navalny’s return from Berlin where he is convalescing after an alleged attempt to poison him in August with a Soviet-era nerve agent.
He is one of the leading critics of President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin had earlier said he was free to return home.
Moscow had reiterated that there was no evidence to prove he was poisoned and denied any involvement in the incident in which Navalny collapsed while aboard a flight and had to be airlifted to Germany.
Late on Tuesday, the Russian Investigative Committee, which conducts probes into serious crimes, accused the critic and other individuals of massive fraud, saying he and others had spent 356 million roubles ($4.81 million) donated to his organisations on their personal needs.
In a statement, the committee said the money was spent on purchasing goods and services and covering personal expenses such as costly foreign jaunts.
Navalny said on Twitter that the case was fabricated and resembled a hysterical action ordered by the president.
He said he had earlier predicted that the authorities in Russia would send him to prison as they failed to finish him off.
The Russian president said that media reports about Russian state security agents poisoning Navalny were a US plot to discredit him, adding that the critic lacked enough importance to be a target.
The prison service of Russia issued an ultimatum to Navalny, saying he should fly back from Berlin immediately and report early on Tuesday morning or risk being jailed upon arrival after the deadline.