Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption group vowed Thursday to fight on after a court called it an "extremist" organisation and ordered its closure.
EU members and other western countries were quick to condemn Wednesday's late-night ruling, but Russian officials described Navalny as an agent collaborating with Washington.
The court decision, before parliamentary elections in September, was the latest move in a campaign against critics of the Kremlin.
Some of its most vocal opponents have fled the country and some activist groups and independent media have closed.
The ruling bans Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and a network of regional offices from operating and, under a recently passed law, prevents those associated with the groups from running in elections.
The Foundation was defiant, saying on Twitter on Thursday morning: "We woke up, smiled with destructive intent and knowing that we are a 'danger to society' will continue to fight corruption."
What it will be able to do is unclear after the ruling, which followed a 12-hour hearing behind closed doors.
Navalny's key allies still in Russia are under close law enforcement supervision, some under house arrest, and other prominent aides have gone into exile.
He was jailed for more than two and a half years in February after he returned from Germany where he had been convalescing after a poisoning attack that he blamed on the Kremlin.
Russia's most prominent opposition leader, who is in a penal colony outside Moscow, acknowledged supporters would now have to change their strategy.
The ruling came at a difficult time for Russia's embattled opposition, which hoped to make a dent in the Kremlin's monopoly on political life during parliamentary elections in September.
"But we will not retreat from our goals and ideas. This is our country and we have no other," Navalny, 45, said on Instagram.
The EU condemned the court ruling as the latest effort to "suppress" the opposition.
"It is an unfounded decision that confirms a negative pattern of a systematic crackdown on human rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Russian constitution," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Amnesty International said the ruling placed "tens of thousands of Navalny's supporters at risk of prosecution".
"This is one of the Kremlin's most cynical and brazen attempts so far to crack down on the rights to freedom of expression and association," the rights group said.
The committee of ministers of pan-European rights body the Council of Europe said it strongly urged Russia to "immediately" release Navalny.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had described the ruling as "perverse" and "Kafka-esque", while the US called on Moscow to end the crackdown and release Navalny.
US President Joe Biden has promised to raise the issue of human rights with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two meet next week in Geneva.
The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said the international outcry suggested Navalny was working with foreign governments.
"They show such political zeal because it touches those whom they supervised, those whom they supported politically and in other ways," Maria Zakharova said.
Russian authorities have accused the opposition of working for and receiving funding from foreign interests.
Prosecutors in April requested that Navalny's organisations be given the "extremist" designation, saying they were plotting an uprising with support from the West.
Announcing the decision on Wednesday, a representative of the prosecutors said Navalny's groups had "incited hatred and enmity against government officials, but also committed extremist actions".
His network of regional offices had promoted his "smart voting" campaign, which encouraged voters to cast ballots for candidates most likely to unseat Kremlin-friendly incumbents.
Leonid Volkov, a close ally of Navalny who used to run the nationwide network of offices, said on Thursday that this work would continue.
"Although Navalny's headquarters no longer exist, we, Navalny's team, are still working on smart voting," he said in a YouTube video.
"Our task in the autumn elections to the State Duma is to win as many mandates as possible from United Russia," he said, referring to the Kremlin-aligned ruling party.
But legislation signed by Mr Putin this month bars employees and even supporters of "extremist" groups from running in elections, paving the way for a clear sweep by Kremlin-backed candidates.
The FBK, which has published investigations into the wealth of Russia's elites, independently investigated Navalny's poisoning and concluded that attack was carried out by the FSB security agency.
On Thursday, Navalny's allies said they gained access to his medical documents from a Siberian hospital. where he was first taken after his plane made an emergency landing, which showed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of poisoning.
Political analyst Valery Solovei said Wednesday's ruling carried serious implications for many Russians.
"The most dangerous aspect of this decision is that it is retroactive," he said, noting that even regular Russians who visited Navalny's website in recent years or donated could be implicated.
"This is an indefinitely wide range of people."
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Summer special
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
