The lower house of the Russian parliament approved in principle on Tuesday A bill that seeks to prevent members of groups deemed to be extremist from being nominated, A measure intended to prevent the political campaigns of the opposition leader’s allies Alexei Navalny.

The State Duma, dominated by pro-Kremlin politicians, soon approved the bill after a second reading. After the third, it should go to the Senate and it will go into effect as soon as President Vladimir Putin signs it..

Parliament discusses this issue at the same time as The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office plans to designate the Navalny Group, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, as an extremist entity. Navalny and his allies denounced the process as an attempt to quell any form of dissent before the September parliamentary elections.

The organization is led by Navalny It launched a strategy to reinforce the candidates who had the best chance of defeating those appointed by the ruling party, United Russia, In elections at all levels. So the parliamentary initiative advancing in the lower house is widely seen as an essential part of the Kremlin’s campaign Attempt to prevent Navalny’s allies from contesting the September elections.

Navalny is Putin’s staunch critic, she was He was arrested in January upon his return from GermanyHe spent five months recovering from a poisoned case attributed to Kremlin agents who rejected the charges. In february, Sentenced to two and a half years in prison For breaching the terms of the 2014 suspended sentence on charges of embezzlement. Navalny claims that this process is nothing more than a political maneuver.

New Criminal Cases Against Navalny

Russian opponent This Tuesday, it was denounced as the subject of three new criminal casesAt a time of increasing pressure on his movement and his supporters. Navalny on his Instagram account indicated this Accused of transferring “all donations” to his anti-corruption organization, As well Create a group that “violates people’s rights.” Based on Insulting the judge During a recent operation.

“My influential criminal union is growing,” Putin’s main domestic opponent joked in the new position. “I am a genius and a professional puppeteer in the criminal underworld”, The 44-year-old said, adding that more than 20 researchers took part in the new research.

Citing a senior representative of the Russian Investigation Commission, which is investigating the felonies, Navalny said he has been charged with crimes. ‘Stealing’ donations to your anti-corruption foundation e Insulting the judge. He is also accused of Create a non-commercial organization and encourage Russians not to perform their “civic duties” By publishing an investigation into Putin’s alleged wealth.

Navalny fired a Search for a palace in the Black Sea Which is allegedly built by the emperors of Russia for Putin, who has garnered more than 116 million views on YouTube. Putin denies the palace is his property.

The defector’s lawyer, Olga Migilova, indicated that the last three open cases against Navalny were that of the alleged accused. Insult to Judge Vera Amikova, who was sentenced to pay a fine of 850,000 rubles (about $ 11,500) To discredit a WWII veteran, an accusation that the opponent had long rejected. Navalny has appealed the fine, a case that a Moscow court will hear on June 22.

(With information from the AP and EFE)

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