The Federal Bailiffs' Service (FSS) has issued a statement that Navalny cannot leave the country as he has not paid the alleged damages in a court ruling against both Navalny and his brother Oleg which were ostensibly sought on behalf of Yves Roches, a French company that in fact says it has no claims against the Navalnys.
The court ruled that the Navalnys must pay 4.5 million rubles ($72,845); Alexey Navalny has paid 3 million rubles ($48,563) but says he doesn't have any more funds and asked for an extension.
The FSS says that the order not to leave the country came after an agent came to Navalny's home to collect the payment and he said he didn't have it and drove away.
Navalny's lawyer Vadim Kobzev has pointed out that he was already barred from travel abroad due to two suspended sentences in cases widely believed to be fabricated as punishment for his exposure of official corruption.
Translation: the battle with state enemy no. 1 continues. The bailiffs reported that they will come to seize property from @navalny apartment on Monday.
Translation: We asked for an extension for the remaining sum but the bailiffs decided that it's more important for them to rummage among the things of Navalny's family and hurried with the seizure.
Navalny joked about the decision in a blog post titled "I Don't Have a Cat But You Can Seize My Hamster" -- warning that the hamster bites.
Recently, a law was passed that seemed aimed particularly at Navalny's exposes.
-- Catherine A. Fitzpatrick