Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces new extremism charges and risks decades in prison, is questioning today why he poses a greater threat to the Kremlin than Wagner’s mercenaries, citing their recent mutiny.

In a message posted on Twitter by his associates, Navalny says that since June 1 he has not been allowed to listen to the radio or talk to others. Therefore, he thought his lawyers were joking when they informed him – before yet another court appearance – of the temporary mutiny of Prigozhin’s mercenaries against the leadership of the Russian armed forces, in which thousands of Wagner fighters began marching on Moscow, reaching almost 200 kilometers from the Russian capital.

“However, the prosecutor entered the room and the trial continued in which I am accused of forming a (criminal) organization with the aim of overthrowing President Putin by force,” Navalny underlines.

“Hearing that the ACF (a.k.a. his Anti-Corruption Foundation) is made up of extremists who are dangerous to the country, I was reading about Russian troops taking up positions on the Oka River to defend against another Russian group… And while I expected the prosecutor herself to burst out laughing and shout “It’s all a joke, you should have seen your face, Navalny!”, she remained absolutely serious”, he added.

Navalny is one of the fiercest critics of Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin and the Russian elite, whose corruption he has repeatedly denounced. He has also blamed Putin for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – pointing out that millions of innocent people are suffering because of the war.

He blames Putin for the mutiny of the mercenary company Wagner, which he allowed to rise to power by recruiting Baripinites in exchange for promises of clemency.

“It was not the West or the opposition that shot down Russian helicopters inside the Russian Federation. It was not the ACF that brought Russia to the brink of civil war,” he noted. “It was Putin himself … who granted pardons to the Barypoinites, who set out to kill (Defense Minister) Shoigu and anyone else they wanted to kill …,” Navalny added, arguing that the war launched by the Kremlin strongman threatens to destroy Russia.