AP: “Russian authorities have opened a new criminal case against the two closest allies of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the latest in a series of moves to stifle his already embattled team. The Investigative Committee on Tuesday announced a probe against Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, accusing them of raising funds for extremist groups.”
“The charge carries a punishment of up to eight years in prison. In June, a court outlawed Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of his regional offices as extremist organizations. The designation barred people associated with the groups from seeking public office and exposed them to lengthy prison terms. The foundation suspended its crowdfunding efforts shortly before the court ruling to mitigate the risks for its supporters. Last week, however, Navalny’s team announced it was resuming fundraising through the use of encrypted transactions that bypass the Russian banking system and would allow donors to remain anonymous.”