The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against the former director of the FBK * Ivan Zhdanov and the ex-head of the Navalny Headquarters ** movement Leonid Volkov in connection with calls for financing extremist organizations.
This was announced by the official representative of the department Svetlana Petrenko.
“Based on the results of the procedural check in the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, a criminal case was initiated against Leonid Volkov, Ivan Zhdanov and other persons.
They are suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art.
282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (collection of funds and the provision of financial services, deliberately intended to finance an extremist organization), "- said Petrenko.
The maximum punishment under this article is imprisonment for a term of three to eight years.
The representative of the IC recalled that by a court decision, the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Foundation for the Protection of Citizens' Rights (FZPG) *** were recognized as extremist and liquidated.
The extremist activities of the public movement "Navalny's Headquarters" were also banned.
Despite this, on August 5, a video was posted on the Internet with the participation of Zhdanov and Volkov, in which they urged to continue funding the structures associated with them.
Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov
© Reuters / AFP
“Realizing that these organizations were recognized as extremist, Volkov and Zhdanov announced the continuation of their illegal activities and organized a fundraiser, urging an unlimited number of people to support the Navalny Team and fund them by donating at the link they indicated.
In addition, they reported on methods of transferring funds and cryptocurrencies in conditions of secrecy and anonymity of the donor from law enforcement agencies, ”Petrenko stressed.
According to her, investigative actions are now being carried out to establish all the circumstances of the crime.
The Ministry of Justice added FBK, FZPG and Navalny Headquarters to the list of banned organizations on August 6.
This happened two days after the first appellate court of general jurisdiction dismissed the complaints against the decision to declare these organizations extremist.
Thus, the decision came into legal force.
Also on russian.rt.com Leonid Volkov's "digital duck": how the head of Navalny's headquarters collecting donations lives in Vilnius
On January 29, the Investigative Committee put Leonid Volkov on the wanted list in connection with an accusation brought against him in absentia of involving teenagers in illegal rallies. He is charged with committing a crime under paragraphs. "A, c" part 2 of Art. 151.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (persuading minors to commit illegal acts in information and telecommunication networks). At the same time, in February, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania refused to detain the ex-head of Navalny's headquarters in this case at the request of the Russian side.
Later, RT found out that Leonid Volkov received a residence permit in Lithuania, as evidenced by data from the register of legal entities of the republic.
In addition, he owns an advertising company Digital Duck in Vilnius and has been assigned a personal identification code - asmens kodas.
Also, the registry data indicate that in the Lithuanian capital Volkov is registered in an apartment worth from € 80,000 to € 120,000, located in a house "loved by the migrants."
A RT source in law enforcement reported that Ivan Zhdanov was included in the database of wanted persons in Russia in connection with the investigation of a criminal case under Part 2 of Art.
315 of the Criminal Code (non-execution of a court verdict, court decision or other judicial act).
The production has been underway since 2019, when Zhdanov did not comply with the court's decision and did not remove the video "He is not Dimon for you" from the Internet.
According to the source, most likely, since the fall of 2019, the ex-director of FBK has been hiding from Russian justice in Germany.
On August 10, lawyer Gennady Makarov, who in the early 2010s represented the interests of Alexei Navalny in the Lipetsk region, in an interview with RT accused Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov of deception.
According to him, former leaders and associates in opposition activities promised him to reimburse all expenses related to the registration of the party, but he never received any compensation.
According to him, the damage from cooperation with Navalny's team over the years of work amounted to more than 200 thousand rubles.
“But I've already forgotten about that.
I forgive them in a Christian way.
And I think that demanding something from them is useless.
They have already been punished by law enforcement officers.
Everything has already fallen apart for them, ”Makarov said.
* The Foundation for the Fight against Corruption (FBK) is included in the register of NPOs performing the functions of a foreign agent by the decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 09.10.2019. The organization is recognized as extremist, its activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia by the decision of the Moscow City Court of 06/09/2021.
** "Navalny Headquarters" - the organization is recognized as extremist, its activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia by the decision of the Moscow City Court of 06/09/2021.
*** The Foundation for the Protection of Citizens' Rights was included in the register of NPOs performing the functions of a foreign agent, by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated December 25, 2020. The organization is recognized as extremist, its activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia by the decision of the Moscow City Court of 06/09/2021.