Russian media: Navalny, close to Russia, has fled

On Thursday, a Moscow court restricted Sobol’s freedom of movement for a year and a half. She is not allowed to leave her home between 10 pm and 6 am, nor is she allowed to attend group events or leave Moscow.

This sentence was handed down to the activist for her role in the January protests. Then thousands of Russians took to the streets to demand Navalny’s release. On Friday, another critical Kremlin employee was given a similar sentence and Navalny’s brother was given a one-year suspended prison sentence.

Sobol is one of the most famous faces in Navalny’s anti-corruption movement. Since June, the organization has been officially registered as “extremist” and many prominent Navalny supporters have left Russia. They fear prosecution in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in September. Sobol has lagged far behind.

After her sentencing, Sobol told radio station Ekho Moskvy that the sentence would not take effect immediately and that she “should really consider it an opportunity to leave the country.” Editor-in-chief Ekho Moskvy confirmed on Sunday that the lawyer is no longer in Russia. Sobol herself could not be reached and her acquaintance did not want to comment.