Russian law

Russia's prison service says it has orders to detain Alexey Navalny, a statement made days before the opposition politician is due to return to Russia after recuperating abroad from a suspected FSB poisoning.

Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny is on a national wanted list for allegedly violating the terms of a suspended prison sentence and risks being jailed for three and a half years when he returns to Russia this weekend, one of his lawyers said on Thursday.

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who is currently recovering in Germany from a nerve-agent attack he blames on the Kremlin, said he plans to return to Moscow despite threats by the authorities to imprison him upon his arrival.

Navalny said in an Instagram video post Wednesday that he has a ticket to Moscow on Jan. 17.

Bulgaria granted political asylum to Russian opposition leader Evgeny Chupov 16 months after he applied for it.  Thus, he has refugee status in our country. He himself posted his info on the social network, along with the decision of the State Agency for Refugees. The Russian's wife and their four children will stay in Bulgaria with him.

A Russian agent sent to tail opposition leader Alexey Navalny has revealed how he was poisoned in August - with the lethal nerve agent Novichok planted in his underpants.

More than 20,000 people protested in Moscow. They demanded the release of the arrested people during the July and August unauthorized protests in the Russian capital.

Despite the rainy weather and the absence of all opposition leaders in Moscow on Andrey Sakharov Boulevard for the third consecutive Saturday, thousands of dissatisfied gathered because of the non-admission of candidates for the September local government elections in the capital.

The amendments abolish jail sentences of 30 and 40 years - until now the most severe legal penalty for the gravest crimes - and introduces life imprisonment instead.

Romania's Attorney General Augustin Lazar had a meeting with visiting State Minister for European Affairs of the German Federal Foreign Office Michael Roth, who voiced concern over recent amendments to Romania's criminal legislation.

High Representative Valentin Inzko, Bosnia and Herzegovina's top international official, warned of possible legal chaos late Wednesday after the Bosnian state parliament failed to adopt important amendments to criminal law procedures on issues like surveillance and the status of protected witness.