MOSCOW, August 29 (RAPSI) – Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky Court has dismissed the request filed by Russia’s Federal Penal Service to place in detention center opposition activist and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny who remains under house arrest, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
Navalny remains under a house arrest since March 28. He is prohibited from using the Internet and communicating with mass media.
Navalny violated the conditions of his house arrest by commenting on the Yves Rocher embezzlement case he is involved in, according to the service which asked for Navalny's detention for the third time.
“I can't keep silent when my brother and I could be imprisoned on fabricated charges,” Navalny said in court.
“I have not violated the terms of house arrest and did not use the Internet,” he added.
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 ($716,149) from the cosmetics company, as well as upwards of 4 million rubles ($110,177) from the Multidisciplinary Processing Company. The brothers were further charged with having laundered 21 million rubles ($578,350). They pleaded not guilty on August 14.
Navalny has already been given a suspended sentence of five years for the embezzlement of funds owned by Kirovles company.
In mid-August, a Moscow's court ordered him to pay 600,200 rubles (about $17,000) in compensation to Moscow Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov in a defamation case. Navalny wrote in his blog that Liksutov and his wife owned assets abroad and concealed the fact in violation of the federal law.
Currently, Navalny is involved in a painting theft case. Investigators claim that the painting titled “Bad and Good Person” was stolen at the exhibition in the city of Vladimir. It was found during a raid on Navalny's apartment on June 20.