Lithuania refused to detain Leonid Volkov, head of the regional headquarters network of Alexei Navalny (founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation – FBK, included by the Ministry of Justice in the register of organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent), at the request of Russia. This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania Agne Bilotaite, reports Associated Press.
“Using international instruments for politically motivated persecution is a wrong practice,” Bilotaite said. According to her, these actions raise her doubts about Russia’s membership in international organizations such as Interpol.
Earlier, the Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested Leonid Volkov in absentia. He will be taken into custody from the moment of his return to Russia or his extradition. Before that Volkov was also put on the interstate wanted list.
At the end of January, Volkov was charged in absentia under Article 151.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Inclination in information and telecommunication networks of minors to commit illegal acts”). According to investigators, Leonid Volkov attracted minors to participate in an unauthorized rally on January 23.
Actions in support of Navalny were held on January 23 and 31, February 2 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Yakutsk and other large cities.