Declaring Navalny Groups ‘Extremist’ Sets Stage for ‘Unprecedented Expansion of Repression in Russia,’ Golosov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 18 – The Russian government’s plan to declare organizations associated with Aleksey Navalny extremist represents a dangerous and “unprecedented” expansion of repression in the Russian Federation, one that could ultimately touch almost all Russians, Grigory Golosov says.

            The political scientist at St. Petersburg’s European University says that labeling Navalny’s groups “extremist” will “inflict a blow to those groups, allowing the state to use its legal system to repress them. But more than that, it opens the door for the application of the law against large numbers of Russians (ridl.io/ru/organizacii-navalnogo-i-jekstremizm/).

            “According to the 2002 law on combatting extremist activity, as amended since 2014,” Golosov says, “participation in an extremist organization is punishable by fines up to 40,000 rubles (550 US dollars)” or a prison term of up to two years. It further precludes members of such groups from serving in government jobs.

            That means that “any participation in Navalny’s organization network will have criminal consequences in and of itself.” Prosecutors will only have to show that someone was a participant rather than having to document that they actually took any actions that could be described as extremist.

            “Adding Navalny’s network to this list,” the political scientist says, represents “a departure from precedent.” His groups are massive compared to others that have been so categories, they have never called for violence or taken extremist positions, and they are “exclusively political.”

            By moving against Navalny’s groups in this way, Golosov says, the Kremlin is taking a step that could impose penalties on “a huge number of the Russian government’s opponents,” first of all those associated with the imprisoned opposition leader but not at all limited to them alone.

            The political scientist says that “the courts are likely to crack down on the distribution of FBK’s anti-content and even more on those giving donations to its work. That alone threatens a significant portion of Russian Internet users with criminal liability.” They can now be charged even if all they do is express agreement with the positions of the Navalny organizations.

            Especially worrisome, Golosov continues, is that this step “charges the relationship between the Russian government and officially recognized ‘democratic’ groups outside of Navalny’s orbit and that do not recognize his leadership. Even now, publicly rejecting Navalny has become a de facto condition for the electoral existence of such groups.”

            The way in which the Yabloko Party has responded to Navalny shows that such fears are already animating the members of “one of the oldest” liberal parties in the country. Earlier, the Putin regime could use political pressure on it, but now it has acquired “a legal tool” for achieving its goals.