Growing police pressure against Navalny’s office in Murmansk

According to Grudina, a representative of the regional Anti-Extremism Center this week approached her and tried to convey an early warning about extremism activity. The official reportedly tried to make Grudina sign a paper, however she refused, Ovdinfo informs.

The Anti-Extremism Center is a unit under the regional Ministry of the Interior.

Grudina is from before accused by police for having violated regulations on public law and order in connection with a protest rally on 12th August.

A local court has turned down a police request to open a case against the activist. Now, based on the same accusations, the police is trying for the second time to take the case to court, Grudina says in a tweet.

Treatment from the police has been rough ever since followers of presidential-hopeful Aleksey Navalny opened the new Murmansk office on 31 July.

Less than a week after the office opened seven activists were detained by law enforcement officers when they were distributing campaign newspapers and balloons.

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The Navalny office in Murmansk is the 68th of its kind in Russia. Navalny now has three offices in the Russian north; in Syktyvkar, Vorkuta and Petrozavodsk.

The Russian presidential elections are due in March 2018.

Полиция возбудила против меня 2-ое дело по 20.2 ч. 2 КоАП за куб в гайд-парке 12 августа. Первое дело суд вернул в полицию. #Навальный2018

— Violetta Grudina (@vilya1518) September 8, 2017