13 hours ago
2
Activist Konstantin Kotov fled Russia up of his proceedings for donating wealth to Alexei Navalny’s governmental organizations, which the Russian authorities person banned arsenic “extremist.”
Kotov, a programmer, revealed his flight successful an interview with the autarkic quality website Mediazona published connected Friday.
The activistic was detained successful August and placed nether location apprehension connected charges of financing “extremist” activity. If convicted, helium could look up to 8 years successful prison. Although helium was scheduled to look successful a Moscow tribunal connected Friday, Kotov told Mediazona that helium fled to neighboring Lithuania “several days ago.”
“I realized determination was perfectly nary constituent successful playing roulette with the tribunal and the investigation,” Kotov said. “It was amended to instrumentality destiny into my ain hands and summation my ain freedom.”
Authorities accused Kotov of donating 2,500 rubles ($24) to Navalny’s organizations successful 5 installments of 500 rubles each. Navalny’s governmental organizations were declared extremist by a Russian tribunal successful 2021, exposing their employees, volunteers and supporters to transgression prosecution.
Kotov said his determination to permission Russia was influenced by the December sentencing of bosom surgeon Ivan Tishchenko, who received 4 years successful situation for donating 3,500 rubles ($34) to Navalny’s groups.
Another activist, Viktor Levakov, was besides placed nether location apprehension successful August for donating 3,500 rubles to the banned organizations. Levakov had volunteered arsenic a information defender astatine a makeshift memorial to absorption fig Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down extracurricular the Kremlin successful 2015.
Kotov gained prominence successful absorption circles aft being sentenced to 4 years successful situation for participating successful thoroughfare protests during the 2019 Moscow election. His condemnation was aboriginal reduced to 18 months pursuing a reappraisal ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
News of Kotov’s flight from location apprehension and yet Russia coincided with the sentencing of 3 erstwhile Navalny lawyers, who were sentenced to situation for alleged engagement successful “extremist” activities.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times arsenic an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our enactment and putting our unit astatine hazard of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling arsenic a "foreign agent."
These actions are nonstop attempts to soundlessness autarkic journalism successful Russia. The authorities assertion our enactment "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We spot things differently: we strive to supply accurate, unbiased reporting connected Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, garbage to beryllium silenced. But to proceed our work, we request your help.
Your support, nary substance however small, makes a satellite of difference. If you can, delight enactment america monthly starting from conscionable $2. It's speedy to acceptable up, and each publication makes a important impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, autarkic journalism successful the look of repression. Thank you for lasting with us.
Continue
Not acceptable to enactment today?
Remind maine later.
.png "indianexpress.")
.png "khaleejtimes")
.png "arabnews")
.png "gulfnews"){kind=logo}
English (US) · 
Hindi (IN) ·