AFP :
Russia has formally banned organisations established by jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as the opposition says the authorities are trying to stifle dissent ahead of parliamentary elections.
In June, Russia declared Navalny’s organisations extremist and barred his allies from running in the polls.
On Friday, the justice ministry added the names of three entities linked to Navalny — including the Anti-Corruption Fund — onto its list of banned organisations.
Navalny’s regional offices and the Foundation for Protection of Citizens’ Rights were also banned.
“Well, we’ve been put on a list of banned organisations!” the Anti-Corruption Fund said on Twitter. “But that’s ok! They’ve banned us a million times before.”
Earlier this year Navalny’s regional offices disbanded to shield staff from possible prosecution and many of his allies have left the country.
But Navalny’s senior associates have vowed to continue working to transform Russia and rid it of corruption. They have urged supporters to keep supporting their work by donating anonymously.
Navalny, who barely survived a poisoning with a Soviet-designed nerve agent last summer, was imprisoned for two and a half years on old embezzlement charges in February.
In a message from prison late last month, Navalny called on supporters to mobilise ahead of September parliamentary polls and punish members of the ruling party by voting them out of power.
