Russian court bans groups linked to Putin critic Alexei Navalny
The ruling could increase tensions ahead of
President Putin s meeting with US leader
Joe Biden in Geneva next week.
Mr Navlany last year survived a poisoning attempt blamed on Russian intelligence, and in February was
jailed for two and a half years for parole violations.
The 45-year-old has for many years been Mr Putin s most vocal critic within Russia.
The latest case was brought by Moscow s top prosecutor, who accused Mr Navalny and his allies of trying to start a revolution by destabilising Russia s socio-political fabric.
Mr Navalny s lawyers said they would appeal and criticised the prosecution s evidence.
Court outlaws Kremlin critic Navalny s network in pre-election knockout
By Andrew Osborn and Vladimir Soldatkin
Reuters
MOSCOW (Reuters) -A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them extremist , a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain U.S.-Russia ties before a closely watched summit.
President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are due to hold talks in Geneva next week with the fate of Navalny and the crackdown on his movement certain to be on the agenda.
Washington has asked Moscow to free Navalny. The Kremlin says the matter is a purely domestic one and not Biden s business. It has portrayed Navalny as a U.S.-backed trouble maker, something Navalny has denied.