Moscow court

A Moscow court has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Yulia Navalnaya, accusing her of participating in an extremist community. Navalnaya, who is currently abroad, has become a target of Russian authorities, marking a significant escalation in the government's crackdown on dissent.

Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, Deputy Chief of the Russian Army's General Staff, has been apprehended in Moscow, as reported by "Kommersant." He is now a suspect in a criminal investigation linked to alleged fraudulent activities.

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday defended an unprecedented crackdown on dissenting voices in Russia at a time of "armed conflict" with Ukraine, urging everyone to follow "certain rules."

"Daria Trepova is accused of having committed a criminal offense under Article 205. 3 paragraph 'b' of the Criminal Code, part 4 of Article 222.1 (terrorist act committed by an organized group resulting in premeditated murder); illegal carrying of explosive devices, carried out by an organized group", the department announced.

Russia has issued an arrest warrant that covers a swath of other former Soviet republics for one of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's closest allies, a Moscow court said on Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 4 said it was essential to continue dialogue with Russia despite its "huge mistake" in jailing opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Macron has long pushed for a working relationship with Russia under President Vladimir Putin and renewed his commitment to the strategy during a question and answer session with the Atlantic Council think tank.

Alexei Navalny's conviction is unacceptable, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov wrote on Facebook today.

He must be freed as soon as possible. Court trials should not be politicized. The ongoing violence against peacefully protesting Russian citizens is also unacceptable, Borisov notes further.

A Moscow court on Feb. 2 ordered Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison for more than 2 1/2 years, finding that he violated the terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning. The ruling ignited protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Moldova's interim prosecutor general has opened a criminal investigation into the Democratic Party on suspicion of 'usurping power' when it resisted handing over the reins of government during a post-election crisis in June.

A Moscow court has approved the arrest of a Moldovan-born executive of the Russian energy company Inter RAO, for allegedly spying for Romania, Russia's state news agency Tass reported.