MOSCOW, April 24 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky court on Thursday extended the time under house arrest of opposition activist and anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny involved in the Yves Rocher embezzlement case, attorney Vadim Kobzev told RAPSI.
Navalny will remain under house arrest until October 28.
The court thus rejected a request filed by the prosecutors and Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service to take Navalny into custody.
Earlier on Thursday, the Federal Penitentiary Service said that Navalny broke the conditions of the house arrest. The service determined that Navalny made a public post on the Internet, despite being specifically prohibited from doing so.
Navalny and his brother Oleg stand accused in a fraud case involving cosmetics company Yves Rocher Vostok. Investigators allege that the Navalny brothers embezzled upwards of 26 million rubles (over $730,000) from the cosmetics company, as well as upwards of 4 million rubles (over $110,000) from the Multidisciplinary Processing Company by way of a fraud scheme. The brothers were further charged with having laundered 21 million rubles.
Alexei Navalny has already been given a suspended sentence of five years for the embezzlement of funds owned by Kirovles company.
Alexei Navalny ran for Moscow mayor in 2013, losing to the Kremlin-backed incumbent, but boosting his public exposure through a vigorous grassroots campaign. He gained just over 27 percent of the vote, well above what initial polls suggested he would get.