Navalny says prosecution aims to bar him from elections

MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) – Opposition campaigner Alexei Navalny said his prosecution in the fraud case connected with the Kirovles logging company is part of the law enforcement services’ plan to obstruct his political activities and prevent him from running in elections.

“The goal is to obstruct my political activities and to prevent my running in elections, all of which will happen if I am jailed or get a long suspended sentence,” Navalny told Interfax.

He said the charges brought against him in the Kirovles case are absurd and empty.

“This is going to be yet another case whose absurdity will be clear to all in the absence of a professional analysis, and utter rubbish, something I have nothing to do with,” he said.

Navalny said his lack of involvement in the embezzlement transactions he is accused of is clear from his tapped telephone conversations. “The tapes confirm everything I am saying,” Navalny said.

He also said that during his visit to the Investigative Committee, where the final indictment was announced to him, he did not refuse to testify but, on the contrary answered a multitude of questions.

“I did testify and my evidence was documented on two pages. I said I disagree with the indictment and that its essence is not clear to me. I asked several questions to understand the meaning of the indictment and left,” he said.

Navalny said he would read the files of the case jointly with his defense lawyers and then court hearings will begin.