A Moscow court on Wednesday night outlawed the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by labeling it extremist, drawing swift condemnation from the United Kingdom. The move is being described as part of a campaign to silence dissent and bar critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin from running for parliament in September. The Moscow City Court's ruling, effective immediately, prevents people associated with Navalny's foundation and his sprawling regional network from seeking public office. Many of Navalny's allies had hoped to run for parliamentary seats in the Sept. 19 election, the Associated Press reported. Condemning the Russian court's ruling, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Today's ruling that the anti-corruption foundation FBK is an extremist organization is perverse. It is another Kafka-esque attack on those standing up against corruption and for open societies, and is a deliberate attempt to effectively outlaw genuine political opposition in Russia." Navalny, Putin's political rival, was arrested in January upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve agent. In February, the Russian opposition leader was given a 2 1/2-year prison term for violating the terms of a suspended sentence from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that he dismissed as politically motivated. — Agencies
