Russian Police Raid Navalny's Home and Office... Navalny's Team Says "Due to Putin's Fear"

Navalny's Brother Oleg Aleksei Also Arrested

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is surrounded by reporters as he boards a flight to Moscow in Germany on the 17th (local time). [Image source= AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] "We have confirmed President Vladimir Putin's fear."

This was a brief comment left on social media by Alexei Navalny's side regarding the Moscow police's search of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny's home and office on the 27th (local time).

On that day, Moscow police conducted an unannounced search of Navalny's apartment and office located on Lyublinskaya Street in the Maryino district, southeast Moscow. According to Navalny's side, the police, wearing masks, searched Navalny's apartment. Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife who was in the apartment, said the police prevented her lawyer from entering the apartment.

The police also searched the anti-corruption foundation office and the studio where Navalny conducted online broadcasts. Navalny's brother, Oleg Navalny, was arrested. Oleg Navalny had been convicted of embezzlement and served three and a half years in prison before being released in 2018.

Putin's political rival Alexei Navalny collapsed last summer on a domestic Russian flight due to poisoning symptoms, was treated in Germany, and was arrested and imprisoned immediately upon his return on the 17th.

Last weekend, large-scale protests demanding Navalny's release took place across Russia. The protests occurred in over 100 cities nationwide, and nearly 4,000 people were arrested.

The police did not provide any specific reasons for the search.

Navalny's side claimed on social media that the search of Navalny's home and office was an excuse citing violations of quarantine rules during the weekend Moscow protests. However, they pointed out that the real reason for the search was Putin's fear.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.