Navalny Aide Rearrested Shortly After Finishing 15-Day Jail Term In Far East

Vladimir Dubovsky

Russian activist Vladimir Dubovsky, the coordinator of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's regional team in the Far East, has been rearrested shortly after finishing a 15-day jail term.

Members of Navalny's team in the region on June 27 said on social media that Dubovsky was arrested as he was leaving a detention facility in the town of Artyom, charged with placing extremist audio on his VKontakte social-media account.

Activists said Dubovsky will spend the night under police detention. Pretrial conditions will likely be decided afterwards.

Dubovsky and several other activists were arrested on June 12 in Vladivostok, the capital of the Primorye region. Three of them, including Dubovsky, were sentenced to jail terms of 14-15 days after a local court declared them guilty of not complying with police orders.

Dubovsky could face prison time if convicted on the latest charges.

Navalny is an anticorruption crusader and vocal Kremlin foe who has often been jailed himself. He was barred from running in the March 18 presidential election because of criminal convictions that he and his supporters say were fabricated to keep him out of electoral politics.