Russia accused the West on Wednesday August 18 of wanting to interfere in the legislative elections scheduled for September in the country by "
artificially creating a buzz
" around the imprisoned opponent Alexeï Navalny.
Read alsoRussia: two allies of Navalny targeted by new criminal prosecutions
In a long press release criticizing Western countries, and Germany in particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced "
interference in the internal affairs
" of Moscow, "in
particular to influence the electoral campaign
" of the legislative elections.
This election, scheduled for September 17 to 19, promises to be difficult for the government against a background of discontent and the allies of Alexeï Navalny, who is currently serving a prison sentence that he denounces as a politician, have called for "
voting intelligently
" to destroy the Kremlin.
Opponent's network dismantled
For Moscow, “
a number of Western states, either directly or through controlled information resources and system media, systematically build around Alexey Navalny and his entourage the image of an organizational center. of the democratic protest movement in Russia
”. "
Berlin and its allies do not miss any opportunity to use the buzz around Alexei Navalny, artificially created with their direct contribution, as a pretext for (...) new attacks against us
", continued the ministry.
Anti-corruption activist and sworn enemy of the Kremlin, Alexeï Navalny is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a fraud case dating back to 2014. He returned to Russia in January after recovering in Germany for suspected poisoning of which he accuses him. Kremlin.
He was immediately arrested by the police upon his arrival at Moscow airport.
Read alsoRussia blocks 49 websites linked to Navalny, according to an opponent's ally
The Russian authorities have been working in recent months to dismantle its network, notably with the classification of its organizations as "
extremists
" by the courts and the blocking of dozens of sites linked to it.
Most of his allies and close collaborators are abroad or on probation in a case of “
violation of health standards
”.
Moscow's criticism of Germany comes two days before Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Russia, during which she will meet with President Vladimir Putin.
