Ksenia Fadeeva, the former chief of Alexei Navalny’s headquarters in Tomsk, has been sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, reportsMediazona. Fadeeva was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist group with the use of her official position and participation in a non-profit organization that encroached upon citizens' rights and personality.
Fadeeva was arrested in 2021 and was initially released under the condition of certain restrictions but was later put under house arrest and then in a pre-trial detention center.
Fadeeva's case was initially open to the public, but the prosecution moved to close the proceedings. The prosecution insisted that open hearings “could create a threat to the lives and health of the trial participants.”
In June 2021, the Moscow City Court labeled Navalny's regional headquarters network an “extremist organization,” banning their operation. After that, the Investigative Committee initiated an extremist group case against the politician and his associates.
Sentences for cooperating with Navalny have been passed in Lilia Chanysheva’s case in Ufa (7.5 years in a penal colony), Vadim Ostanin's case in Barnaul (nine years), Eduard Ataev's case in Dagestan (6.5 years), and Alexei Navalny’s own case at an extramural session at Penal Colony No. 6 in Vladimir Region. All of the cases were heard in a closed court.
