Russian authorities place Nawalny widow on list of 'Terrorists and Extremists'
Russian authorities added Julia Nawalnaja, the widow of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, to a terror list on Thursday. A Moscow court issued a warrant for her arrest earlier in the week against the opposition figure living abroad. This decision means that Nawalnaja faces the risk of arrest if she returns to Russia.
The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation (Rosfinmonitoring) added Nawalnaja to its list of "Terrorists and Extremists" on Thursday. This designation brings restrictions on financial transactions and is often used against opposition figures.
Navalny, the sharpest political opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a Siberian penal colony in February while serving a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges, which he claimed were politically motivated. Nawalnaja has blamed Putin for her husband's death and vowed to continue his activities. Her spokesperson Kira Yarmysh commented on the latest move by the authorities on the platform X with the words: "If they're this clumsy, it means Julia is doing everything right."
Russian authorities have not provided further details on the allegations against Nawalnaja. They seem to be referring to the fact that the authorities have labeled Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption and its regional offices as extremist.
- The addition of Julia Nawalnaja, the Natalny-Widow, to the Russian authorities' list of "Terrorists and Extremists" raises concerns about potential restrictions on her bank transactions.
- Extremist groups, including those labeled as such by the Russian authorities, often face scrutiny and limitations in their financial dealings.
- The decision by Russian authorities to label opposition figures like Julia Nawalnaja and Alexei Navalny's Foundation as extremists has been criticized by human rights organizations worldwide, citing the potential misuse of such lists for political purposes.
