Russian Blogger Navalny to Rally Opposition Against Shuvalov

Russian anti-graft blogger Alexei Navalny plans to rally opposition in an Internet campaign against First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who he accuses of corruption.

Navalny published documents on financial transactions carried out by companies owned by Shuvalov after the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal reported that the official’s family benefited from buying shares in state-owned OAO Gazprom in 2004.

“It’s a great case because we have all the documents against Shuvalov,” Navalny, who joined street protests opposing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s rule, said today by phone. “This will be a campaign of public political pressure.”

Shuvalov denies involvement in financial activities that could discredit his status as a government official, according to an e-mailed statement this week. A group named “Shuvalov on trial” was registered today on Facebook Inc. and had about 1,900 members by 6:45 p.m. in Moscow.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stepan Kravchenko in Moscow at skravchenko@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net