Russia blocks 49 websites linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

Name: US and EU sanction seven Russian officials over Alexei Navalny poisoning
Uploaded: 2021-07-26T12:39:56.000Z
Duration: 3 min 1 s
Description: US and EU sanction seven Russian officials over Alexei Navalny poisoning

Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic was jailed earlier this year on old fraud charges and his organisations banned as ‘extremist’

His team said the sites affected included Navalny’s main one, as well as those of his Anti-Corruption Foundation and regional offices

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Municipal workers paint over graffiti of Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, in April. Photo: AP

Reutersin Moscow

Published: 8:39pm, 26 Jul 2021Updated: 11:44pm, 26 Jul 2021

Russian authorities blocked access to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s website on Monday in the run-up to a parliamentary election, in the latest attempt to sideline his allies – cast by the Kremlin as US-backed troublemakers.

The move, the latest chapter in a long-running crackdown on President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent domestic opponent, also blocked the websites inside Russia of 48 other individuals and organisations affiliated with Navalny.

Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor said in a statement it had acted to block navalny.com – one of the Navalny’s movement’s main websites – and the others at the request of the prosecutor general.

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US and EU sanction seven Russian officials over Alexei Navalny poisoning

A Russian court last month ruled that organisations linked to Navalny were “extremist” based on allegations from Moscow’s top prosecutor who said they were trying to foment a revolution by seeking to destabilise the sociopolitical situation inside Russia, a charge they denied.

The ruling in effect outlawed them and prevented Navalny’s allies from taking part in September’s election to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

Roskomnadzor said the sites it had blocked had been helping the movements covered by the court ban to distribute propaganda and continue illegal activities.

Condemning the move, Navalny’s team said on social media it expected the authorities would soon target its so-called smart voting website, which advises peoples how to vote tactically in September to try to unseat candidates from the ruling United Russia party.