FSB department involved in Alexei Navalny’s poisoning contacts judge during “extremism” case trial, ACF investigation reveals

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Judge Andrei Suvorov, who presided over Alexei Navalny's recent “extremist” case, received regular calls from Denis Khvorov, an employee of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) 2nd Department, during the court proceedings, as revealed in an investigation by Navalny's Team published on August 4. The FSB’s 2nd Department organized the poisoning of the politician in 2021.

Khvorov notably made a call to Suvorov on June 16 — several days before the start of trial commenced. The first hearing of the trial was then declared closed. Although the exact content of the conversations between the FSB officer and the judge remains unknown, the investigation highlights that there is little doubt that the discussions revolved around Navalny's trial.

According to Navalny's associates, they managed to obtain the complete case file, which consists of 196 volumes. The file mainly comprises screenshots of social media posts, media publications, as well as photos of the Anti-Corruption Foundation’s (ACF) headquarters and rallies.

The trial of Alexei Navalny and Daniel Kholodny, the former technical director of the Navalny LIVE YouTube channel, is taking place at Penal Colony No. 6 in the Vladimir region.

Navalny is charged under six articles of Russia's Criminal Code: incitement to extremism, creation of an NGO violating citizens' rights, financing extremism, forming an extremist community, involving minors in dangerous activities, and rehabilitation of Nazism.

The 47-year-old Navalny is already serving a nine-year sentence at Penal Colony No. 6 for fraud and contempt of court. He also was sentenced in 2021 to 2.5 years in prison for a parole violation.

On July 20, Russian state prosecutors asked for Navalny to be sentenced to 20 years in a “special regime” colony and 10 years in a general regime (minimum security) colony for Kholodny.

“Special regime” colonies refer to the Russian prisons with the highest level of security and the harshest inmate restrictions.