Russia jails an associate of imprisoned Kremlin foe Navalny as crackdown on dissent continues

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An associate of opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been jailed by a court in the Siberian city of Tomsk pending trial. An ally of Ksenia Fadeyeva says the activist, who used to run Navalny’s office in Tomsk, has been jailed while she awaits her trial on extremism charges. The move is part of an unrelenting crackdown by the Kremlin on Russian political activists, independent journalists and rights workers. A number of Navalny associates have faced extremism-related charges after his Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of regional offices were outlawed in 2021. Fadeyeva faces 12 years in prison if convicted. Navalny himself is serving a 19-year sentence in a penal colony east of Moscow.