FSB Conducts Search at Home of Navalny Ally's Father in Yekaterinburg
In a significant escalation of actions against associates of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, agents from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) conducted a search at the residence of Mikhail Volkov, the elderly father of Leonid Volkov, a prominent ally of Navalny. This incident occurred early on Thursday in the city of Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains.
According to reports from the state-funded news agency TASS, which cited anonymous sources within law enforcement, Mikhail Volkov, who is 69 years old, is facing potential criminal charges related to the financing of an 'extremist' organization. These allegations are linked to his purported financial support for Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization that has been classified as 'extremist' by Russian authorities since 2021, exposing its employees, volunteers, and supporters to possible legal repercussions.
A Telegram channel associated with the Russian government shared a brief video that allegedly shows FSB agents presenting Mikhail Volkov with documents. However, it remains unclear what the nature of these documents was, and claims regarding his arrest have not been substantiated.
Leonid Volkov, currently in exile, refuted reports regarding his father's arrest, clarifying that the FSB's actions were limited to a home search and the confiscation of electronic devices as part of their investigation. He expressed uncertainty about whether any formal charges would be filed against his father, a retired mathematics professor.
Should Mikhail Volkov face prosecution, it would represent a troubling precedent, as it would be the first known instance of Russian authorities utilizing anti-extremism legislation to target relatives of individuals associated with Navalny, according to the investigative news outlet Agentstvo.
Leonid Volkov, aged 44, has been living outside of Russia since the designation of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation as 'extremist'. His safety has previously been jeopardized; in March 2024, he was hospitalized following a violent attack outside his residence in Lithuania.
