Russia's National Guard says it will go after ‘anti-corruption fighters’ who harass its troops online

Russia’s National Guard said in a press release on Tuesday it plans to bring lawsuits against people who threaten or harass its troops on the Internet. Officials haven’t yet named any of the supposed victims or perpetrators, but the National Guard’s public statement says, “The authors of these publications often hide behind exceptionally noble goals, sometimes calling themselves ‘anti-corruption fighters.’”

The National Guard argues that harassing its officers online encourages an “incorrect understanding” of how to register complaints against the agency, and “generates hostility and discredits the authorities in the eyes of society.”

The National Guard’s announcement comes as police continue a nationwide crackdown on Alexey Navalny’s presidential campaign offices. Last week, during a raid on Navalny’s Moscow headquarters, a lieutenant in the National Guard used “sambo combat maneuvers” against a volunteer who refused to show his passport and allegedly interfered with police work.