Russian authorities have heavily overdrawn the account of an opposition activist and ally of Alexei Navalny in order to collect a fine of 34 million rubles (around € 390,000). Lyubov Sobol shared a photo of her bank account on Twitter yesterday, which is now deep in the red.
The actions of the bailiffs are related to a trial against the anti-corruption foundation FBK of the well-known Kremlin critic Navalny, who is currently in a coma in the Berlin Charite. „I never had such sums in my accounts,“ wrote Sobol. „How’s your Monday morning?“ She commented on a screenshot of her balance.
Allegations of monopoly at school lunches
FBK, Navalny and Sobol were sentenced last year for defamation to pay a total of 88 million rubles in damages to the catering company Moskowskj Schkolnik (Moscow student), which, according to media reports, is connected to the Kremlin businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The anti-corruption foundation had accused the company of creating a monopoly and of delivering bad food to Moscow schools. Sobol worked as a lawyer for FBK.
Prigozhin announced their „ruin“
Prigozhin announced last week that he would ruin Sobol and Navalny. He said he had transferred the 88 million rubles to the company for this purpose, so that Navalny and Sobol would now owe him the fine personally. According to media reports, Prigozhin also finances the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner. He himself denies that.
