DISINFO: Navalny was about to be extradited from Germany by Interpol on criminal charges
SUMMARY
Navalny faces many criminal charges in Russia:
He violated the conditions for the suspension of his sentence in the Yves Rocher affair. Found guilty and convicted of a criminal offence, he is required to register at the office of the Federal Service for the Execution of Sentences twice a month. Since September 24 his location is unknown.
An investigation has established that he embezzled over €4 million of his NGO organization, FBK , for personal gain (including for his vacations abroad).
He slandered former World War II veteran, Ignat Artemenko, on June 2, 2020.
So Alexei Navalny wisely decided to go back in Russia before he was arrested and extradited from Germany by Interpol.
RESPONSE
Recurrent narrative stating that the Kremlin's political opponents are criminals and should be arrested in Russia or abroad.
The prosecutions and arrests against Alexey Navalny are of a political nature and not criminal. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy declared:
"Russian authorities must respect Alexei Navalny’s rights and release him immediately. Politicisation of the judiciary is unacceptable."
The European Council of the European Union declared on 18 January 2021:
The European Union condemns the detention of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny upon his return to Moscow on 17 January and calls for his immediate release. Politicisation of the judiciary is unacceptable and Mr Navalny’s rights must be respected.
See the ECHR's statement on his various arrests including on the Yves Rocher affair. The ECHR ruled that Russia violated Navalny’s rights over numerous arrests and detentions from 2012 to 2014, calling them:
"unlawful and arbitrary" and "politically motivated."
He received compensation of 200,000 Russian roubles as a result of this case.
Moreover, the use of Interpol by Russian authorities against opponents on concealed political ground has been previously documented and denounced.
Read also: Mikhail Khodorkovsky is wanted by Interpol .