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Russian prosecutor submits more material in Navalny ‘extremism’ case – lawyers – Metro US

Russian prosecutor submits more material in Navalny ‘extremism’ case – lawyers

FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny hearing to consider
FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny hearing to consider an appeal against an earlier court decision to change his suspended sentence to a real prison term

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Moscow’s prosecutor on Monday submitted a huge amount of new material to a court hearing a request to outlaw jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s political movement, Navalny’s lawyers said.

The court is considering the prosecutor’s request to declare Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and regional campaign groups as “extremist”, a major escalation in a crackdown on supporters of President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest critic.

Navalny and his allies deny the allegations, which they have cast as an attempt to try to blunt their political opposition to the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

Navalny’s lawyers posted photographs on social media of the prosecutor’s new material — six gigantic wads of A4 paper.

The next court hearing will take place on June 9, the lawyers said.

(Reporting by Anton Zverev; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Andrew Osborn)