Court has in effect liquidated the opposition politician’s movement by classifying it as ‘extremist’

A Russian court has outlawed opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s nationwide political organisation on the grounds it is “extremist”, in a landmark step for Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on political dissent.

The court decision, which had been anticipated, in effect liquidates Navalny’s non-violent opposition movement and bars his allies from running for office for years, as the Kremlin seeks to erase the jailed opposition leader from Russian political life.

Related: The Guardian view on Russia’s opposition: given hell, but not giving up | Editorial

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.