Russian authorities on Thursday announced yet another criminal case against the political opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, accusing him and his brother, Oleg, of defrauding business associates of at least $125,000 in a complex scheme. Mr. Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir V. Putin who rose to prominence as an anticorruption blogger, is already facing four other criminal cases. One case, involving an embezzlement charge, began in Kirov, northeast of Moscow, on Wednesday. The judge in that case granted a one-week postponement to give Mr. Navalny’s lawyers more time to prepare. Mr. Navalny learned of the new charges as he arrived back in Moscow on an overnight train from Kirov. In response, he mocked investigators. “I woke up on the train and learned they filed another criminal case,” he wrote on Twitter. “This means we had a successful trip. Good morning.” Moments later, he added, “The Navalny Brothers are becoming a lasting phrase, like Mario Brothers.” Mr. Navalny has called the charges in all the cases politically motivated.
Russia – Opposition Activist Faces More Legal Trouble – NYTimes.com.