Navalny faces fresh charges of theft

Top Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has learned he is to be the subject of a third criminal investigation. The Federal Investigative Agency says it is to look into claims Navalny stole millions of dollars from the liberal Union of Right Forces party, even though the party has filed no complaint of its own. “The party Union of Right Forces and Allekt company concluded an agreement on providing advertising services. A total of 100 million rubles or 3.2 million US dollars were deposited on Allekt’s accounts under that agreement. After that, Navalny’s company transferred the money received to the accounts of what looked mostly like false enterprises, or so-called one-day companies,” said spokeman Vladimir Markin. It is the third case opened against Navalny since he rose to prominence in the opposition movement. He denies the charges as “absolutely absurd”, but risks a long prison sentence if found guilty.