Libertarian and former Navalny campaign coordinator Vladimir Dubovsky left Russia due to pressure

Vladimir Dubovsky, a member of the Civil Society and former coordinator of Navalny’s headquarters in Vladivostok, decided to leave Russia due to political pressure. He announced this on his Twitter.

According to the activist, a month earlier he was summoned to the Investigative Committee: “The investigator claimed that allegedly, according to their information, I literally “sponsored” the protests that took place in Moscow in January and February 2021. According to their information, I received money from FBK (Anti-Corruption Fund - OVD-Info ), and then transferred it to activists.”

Dubovsky added that before this, searches were carried out at his acquaintances, and at his place of registration, security forces came to seize documents related to the activist, on which his signature was written. In addition, on August 23, according to the activist, FSB officers came to his aunt, who works in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to find out Dubovsky’s current place of residence.

“Naturally, there was no “sponsoring” - this is a lie from the security forces. I think that [this is being done] with the aim of intimidating me and forcing me to incriminate FBK. I already have one criminal conviction for something I didn’t do, and I don’t intend to wait for the opportunity to get another one,” Dubovsky wrote.

• In 2018, Vladimir Dubovsky worked as coordinator of Navalny’s headquarters in Vladivostok. In December 2018, he was fined under the criminal article of insulting a police officer (Article 319 of the Criminal Code), imposing a penalty of 20 thousand rubles. The reason for initiating the case was an incident when Dubovsky was detained at a conference of the Open Russia movement, which the Russian authorities identify with an organization recognized as undesirable.
• On June 9, 2021, the Moscow City Court recognized the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the Foundation for the Defense of Citizens' Rights (FZPG) and the headquarters of Alexei Navalny as extremist organizations.