A group of Russian lawmakers have submitted a draft law to the State Duma on banning people connected to outlawed \u201cextremist organizations\u201d from running for parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The proposed ban would apply to anyone involved in the activities of \u201cpublic or religious associations\u201d that have been outlawed\u00a0in Russia as extremist or terrorist groups. In particular, this includes anyone who worked for or led these organizations one to three years before a court ruling on banning or dissolving said group.<\/p>\n
According to the draft law, the former leaders of outlawed organization will be subjected to a five-year ban on running for parliament; the ban for former employees will last three years.<\/p>\n
The deputies also proposed expanding these prohibitions to apply to \u201cother persons\u201d affiliated with such organizations, including those who provided them with \u201cmonetary, material, organizational, methodological, consultative, or other assistance\u201d in the year before court\u2019s decision came into force. If the bill passes, these individuals will be banned from running for parliament for a three-year period.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the bill on Twitter, Alexey Navalny\u2019s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, wrote that the proposed legislation threatens anyone who worked for \u201cTeam Navalny\u201d or made donations to organizations associated with the opposition politician.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have already seen an array of \u2018laws against Navalny\u2019 but never THIS, of course. You donated to the FBK over the last year (!) \u2014 you can\u2019t [run for] the State Duma. You worked as a coordinator for Navalny\u2019s headquarters in the last three years (!!) \u2014 you can\u2019t run for the State Duma.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Rebranding will not help\u2019 Navalny and his top aides face new criminal charges as his political movement officially disbands ahead of extremism rulingTeam Navalny\u2019s final days Russia\u2019s justice system hasn\u2019t yet banned the opposition movement, technically speaking, but just try telling that to activists on the groundWhat comes next The Russian authorities want to designate Alexey Navalny\u2019s political and anti-corruption network as \u2018extremist.\u2019 This would be the legal fallout.<\/p>\n
On April 16, prosecutors in Moscow filed a lawsuit asking the city to add three organizations affiliated with Alexey Navalny to Russia\u2019s list of illegal extremist groups: the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the Citizens\u2019 Rights Protection Foundation, and his network of regional campaign offices. On April 26, Moscow\u2019s City Court began reviewing the case, which has been classified and hidden from the public because the trial evidence apparently includes state secrets.<\/p>\n
The FBK was subjected to a number of restrictions on its activities pending a ruling on the claim, preventing the organization from holding rallies and publishing information online, among other things. Moscow prosecutors suspended the operations of Navalny\u2019s political network completely ahead of the trial. The opposition movement officially disbanded on April 29.<\/p>\n