Russia Turns Trampled Grass Into Weapon Against Opponents
- State firm seeks $183,000 from opposition for damaged lawns
- Suit comes as authorities raid Navalny offices around Russia
Protesters walk during an unauthorised rally in Moscow on July 27.
Photographer: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
A state-owned organization responsible for maintaining Moscow’s roads is seeking compensation from protest leaders for grass trampled during a recent unsanctioned protest, part of a multi-pronged assault on the opposition that included raids on Alexey Navalny’s network of offices around the country Thursday.
The authorities raided at least 39 offices in Navalny’s political network, seeking evidence for a money laundering investigation started last month against his Anti-Corruption Foundation, his ally Leonid Volkov wrote on Facebook. The searches came a day after the road agency Avtodor was in court seeking 12 million rubles ($183,000) from nine leaders of the recent protests in the capital to compensate for grass allegedly damaged during a July 27 protest.