St. Petersburg Philosophy Professor Detained Over $40 ‘Extremist’ Navalny Donations
“I personally supported Alexei Navalny,” Zaytsev told the officers on camera.
In St. Petersburg, police detained a 58-year-old professor for donating $42 to groups associated with the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny. Igor Zaytsev, a philosophy professor and deputy dean at the Dostoevsky Russian Christian Humanities Academy, was apprehended on July 31 as part of a criminal investigation into financing extremist activity.
The FSB cooperated with local authorities in the case. Zaytsev, who identified himself on camera as supporting Navalny, acknowledged signing up for monthly donations before the Supreme Court classified his network as extremist in 2021. He remains silent on whether he continued supporting Navalny post the declaration. Should he be charged and found guilty, Zaytsev faces up to eight years imprisonment.
His detention details have not been disclosed to the courts yet. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Russian society amidst tightening restrictions on opposition voices.
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