Court in Kirov finds ban on Navalny's international travel unlawful
KIROV. Dec 7 (Interfax) - The Oktyabrsky District Court in Kirov has partially granted the claim of opposition activist Alexei Navalny against the Federal Bailiff Service that banned his international travel.
"The claim has been partially satisfied," a court representative told Interfax on Friday.
He added that the hearing was held on December 6.
Navalny confirmed the partial satisfaction of the claim in his blog.
"To recognize the enforcement writ as unlawful to the extent of the period assigned for the voluntary satisfaction of the demand. To recognize the temporary ban on international travel as fully unlawful," Navalny quoted the court order.
"Now we will file a civil-law suit to be reimbursed for the ticket price," Navalny said.
Navalny reported on November 13 that he had been prohibited from traveling outside Russia. A copy of the notice published on his website said that his international travel was restricted by the Federal Bailiff Service consistent with Article 15 of the Law "On the Procedure of Departure from and Arrival in the Russian Federation."
According to the Federal Bailiff Service databank, the Kirov inter-regional department on special enforcement procedures decided on November 9 to collect 2.164 million rubles from Navalny in reimbursement for "the damages caused by his crime." The decision was based on the enforcement writ issued by the Nikulinsky District Court on September 21, 2018.
Navalny argued that the fine had already been paid.
The Federal Bailiff Service said on November 13 that the ban on Navalny's international travel had been lifted after he paid money due under the Kirovles case.
In summer 2017, the Nikulinsky District Court in Moscow ordered the collection of 2.164 million rubles from Navalny, businessman Pyotr Ofitserov, and former Kirovles head Vyacheslav Opalev, by partially upholding the Kirovles claim for over 16 million rubles.
On September 14, 2017, an appeal court upheld the ruling as lawful, and it took effect.
On February 8, 2018, the Leninsky District Court of Kyiv again found Navalny guilty of organizing the theft of 10,000 cubic meters of Kirovles timber worth of 16 million rubles, while Ofitserov was found guilty of aiding and abetting this crime. Suspended sentences of five and four years were passed on them, respectively, and each defendant was due to pay a 500,000-ruble fine.
The Russian Supreme Court ordered a review of the case after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that the defendants' right to fair trial was breached and compelled Russia to pay over 80,000 euros to each defendant.
Opalev, who testified against Navalny and Ofitserov during the investigative period and at the trial, was convicted earlier in a special procedure.