Leonid Volkov: The Navalny employee was unimpressed
Photo:
Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP
The imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has sparked mass protests in Russia.
The Russian authorities respond with severe reprisals.
Now a close employee of the Russian opposition has been put out to search.
The Moscow court announced on Wednesday that Leonid Volkov, who lived abroad, was placed on the so-called interstate wanted list for calling minors to the protests.
This means that not only in Russia, but also in some other ex-Soviet states, he is being sought.
According to the Russian penal code, the 40-year-old could face a prison sentence of up to three years in his home country.
According to the media, he has been abroad in Europe for several years.
"Disregard, keep working."
Leonid Volkov
Volkov was unimpressed: "Disregard, keep working," he commented on the search call on Telegram.
Navalny's team sees the actions of the Russian judiciary against the opposition leader and his supporters as politically motivated.
In a trial that was heavily criticized internationally last week, Navalny was sentenced to several years in a prison camp for allegedly violating probation conditions in previous criminal proceedings.
Thousands of supporters have been arrested in connection with nationwide demonstrations for his release.
Torture allegations against investigators
In the capital in particular, there are increasing reports of catastrophic conditions in the prisons, some of which are overcrowded due to the many arrests during the protests.
There are also isolated allegations of torture against investigators.
For next Sunday, Volkov has called on people in Russia to gather in front of their houses with flashlights and thus express their solidarity with Navalny.
Maria Sakharova, the spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, described this as an action directed by the West.
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asc / dpa
