Russian Opposition Leader’s Law Credentials Questioned

Russian authorities say they have discovered that prominent opposition activist Aleksei Navalny illegally received his credentials to be a lawyer.

Russia’s Investigative Committee announced on its website on February 27 that Navalny was questioned regarding his status as a lawyer and his alleged involvement in losses at a state-owned forestry firm in 2009.

But Navalny, a popular anti-Kremlin blogger and opposition leader who has taken a leading role since postelection protests broke out in late 2011, wrote a blog post saying that the committee’s statement was posted before he even arrived for questioning on February 27.

According to the investigators, Navalny gave false information regarding his experience when obtaining his qualifications as a lawyer several years ago.

Navalny’s lawyer, Vadim Kobzev, said his client was granted his lawyer’s status legally and there were no reasons to deprive Navalny of his credentials.

Based on reporting by Sledcom.ru, Interfax, and RIA-Novosti

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