St. Petersburg university lecturer detained over donations to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation

Igor Zaitsev, a 58-year-old associate professor at the European University at St. Petersburg, has been detained over allegations of donating to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), according to a report by the Telegram channel Baza, which is believed to be affiliated with Russian authorities. Zaitsev, who supports Navalny's anti-corruption work, transferred funds to the foundation at least seven times between 2021 and 2022.

Russian investigators allege that these donations amount to "financing terrorism." Zaitsev maintains that he continued donating to the foundation even after it was classified as an "extremist organization." The ACF, founded by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, investigates corruption by high-ranking Russian officials and releases reports that have garnered millions of views.

In 2021, the Russian government designated the ACF as an extremist organization. Zaitsev holds a candidate of sciences degree in philosophy and is an associate professor at Stasis, the European University's Center for Practical Philosophy. The university is known for its independence in the field of social sciences and humanities.