Russian opposition leader served with criminal charge
NEW YORK, July 31 — Russian authorities charged opposition blogger and protest leader Alexei Navalny today with a financial crime punishable by prison, increasing pressure on one of President Vladimir Putin's leading foes.
Prominent anti-corruption blogger and opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks to the media after arriving at the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Moscow, July 31, 2012. — Reuters picThe federal Investigative Committee said in a statement Navalny had been charged with organizing large-scale theft following losses suffered by a state forestry firm while he was advising a regional governor, and ordered him to stay in Russia.
It was not immediately clear how long a sentence he could face if convicted. — Reuters
