Moscow, Navalnyj activists and news agencies outlawed: elections at risk

A new bill, discussed in a hurry, wants to ban the candidacy of “extremist” people and organizations and even simple supporters. Navalnist Ljubov Sobol 'and Radio Svoboda are in the sights.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Candidates close to blogger Alexei Navalnyj risk being excluded from the upcoming elections in September. Two days ago, the State Duma began discussing a bill banning members, managers or simple affiliates, of organizations declared to be "extremist" or terrorist, as well as their sponsors, from running for parliamentary elections.

The measure was widely expected: after the demonstrations in recent months, the Fund for the Fight against Corruption (FBK), the movement founded by Naval’nyj, has been accused of extremism, and whose activities have been blocked since last April 26. To get the new law approved in time, the discussion will move ahead of all the others, including the one against domestic violence, postponed until a later date.

The project was presented by deputies Andrei Isaev, Vasily Piskarev, Andrei Alševskij and others, representatives of United Russia, Putin's party, but also of other parties supporting the regime. They propose to extend the repressive measure to anyone who has in any way collaborated in the establishment or activities of "extremist" groups, down to mere supporters.

The law reflects the new methods by the Russian police, which instead of street violence now prefers to control "suspected extremists" even only with social monitoring, analysing the posts and emojis of the various chats and apps, and then visiting people identified directly at home, to intimidate and often carrying out searches and arrests.

The law would also have retroactive effect, to three years before the start of the activities of any of the reported groups, and would prevent nominations for a minimum of five years from the time of the sentence.

In practical terms this clears the stage of all opponents until 2026 and beyond. This "cleansing" will ensure the smooth re-election of edinorossy (United Russia) deputies and Putin himself in the 2024 presidential elections, the expiry of his fourth term. This deadline is the last of the "old constitution", but under the new one he can now start over again and continue until the end of time.

Law against news agencies

The anti-opposition law would be accompanied by another decree that strengthens criminal liability for foreign members of non-governmental associations, who would automatically be declared personae non gratae and expelled from the country. In the text presented it is specified that the purpose of the decree is "to counteract the activities of these organizations, blocking their attempts to influence the social and political institutions of Russian society". This aim "must be considered as one of the priority objectives of the actions of the organs of state power".

Non-governmental associations in which foreign citizens are involved are not defined in detail, leaving room for any arbitration, involving humanitarian or animal welfare foundations or other. In reality, the measure seems to be aimed in particular against news agencies, starting with Radio Svoboda which was already the biggest thorn in the side of the Moscow authorities in Soviet times. Many expect total closure in a short time. The glorious broadcaster, now very active on various IT platforms, should return to transmit its information from Munich, as in the days of Khruščev and Brežnev.

One of the most famous activists of the FBK, Ljubov Sobol '(see photo), arrested several times following the protests, told currentime.tv that the new law could be called the "Sobol law'", as she herself should be the leading figure of the navalists in the next parliamentary elections, "and this makes it clear how much we are feared by the Kremlin".

Sobol 'is engaged in an intense "door to door" campaign and believes she has a very good chance of being elected: "I have full right to participate in the elections, and obviously I'm not an extremist, the idea alone is funny. I have always acted peacefully and within the confines of the law, and so have the many other candidates in our group. As long as we can, we will fight for our candidacies”.

Sobol guarantees that "the principle of the useful vote will remain in any case: if they exclude us, we will have any other opponent of Putin who plays in other parties admitted to elections elected".