Landlord Of Navalny's Election Headquarters In Irkutsk Attacked

Russian liberal opposition leader and anticorruption blogger Aleksei Navalny has faced numerous obstacles while opening campaign offices across Russia.

Unknown assailants have attacked the landlord of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's election campaign headquarters in Irkutsk, Navalny's staff coordinator in the Siberian city says.

Sergei Bespalov said on May 31 that seven attackers with baseball bats rushed into the man's office shouting, "You are selling the motherland to Navalny!" before beating him.

The man suffered injuries to his face, Bespalov said.

Navalny has faced numerous obstacles while opening campaign offices across Russia.

Earlier this month, the opening of Navalny's election headquarters was postponed in Moscow, as well as in Vologda, Volgograd, Vladivostok, Vladimir, and Krasnodar after landlords decided to cancel lease agreements.

Navalny, a prominent anticorruption campaigner and adversary of President Vladimir Putin, announced in December that he will run for president in a March 2018 election in which Putin is widely expected to seek a fourth term.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Meduza