MOSCOW, April 30 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for Nikita Kulachenkov, an associate of the opposition politician Alexei Navalny, accused of stealing a painting, RAPSI reported on Thursday from the courtroom.

Russia’s Investigative Committee brought charges against Kulachenkov in November. He was put on the international wanted list soon afterwards.
The painting, “Bad and Good Man,” belongs to an artist who resides in Vladimir. It was on public display when it was stolen by unknown persons, according to investigators.

The painting was found in Navalny’s apartment in the summer of 2014. Navalny refused to testify in this case.

In mid-April, the Oktyabrsky District Court  in Vladimir, a city about 200 kilometers east of Moscow, found Georgy Alburov, another associate of Navalny, guilty of theft of the painting and sentenced him to 240 hours of compulsory community service. According to the judgment, Alburov has stolen the painting “Bad and Good Man” in order to present it to Navalny on his birthday.

Alexei Navalny is a Russian political and public figure, leader of the Party of Progress. He ran for Moscow mayor and is the author of one of the most popular political blogs that was banned for promoting unauthorized public protests. He has already been given two suspended sentences for embezzlement – five years in the Kirovles case and 3.5 years in the recent Yves Rocher Vostok case.