Opposition leaders have been called in for questioning Friday by the Investigative Committee to talk about prominent anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny's appearances at recent large-scale rallies.

file photo"As far as I understand, they are talking about a request filed to look into Alexei Navalny's role at these rallies," Solidarity activist Sergei Davidis told Interfax.

"The Investigative Committee didn't initiate criminal proceedings, but the prosecutor called him back formally ­ the rally organizers hadn't been questioned," he said.

According to Davidis, organizers of a rally held Dec. 5 had been called in for questioning, including Igor Gukovsky, Tatyana Ipatova and Ilya Mishchenko. Organizers of a mass Dec. 24 rally, including Sergei Parkhomenko and Nadezhda Mityushikina, have also been called in.

Davidis, an organizer of the Dec. 24 rally, said he also has a meeting at the Investigative Committee, set for 10 a.m. Friday.

Parkhomenko's wife, Varvara Gornostayeva, also confirmed the news on Facebook, posting a screenshot of a text message from her husband saying he had been summoned. Parkhomenko, currently in Germany, later said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy that it was likely connected to violence at a May 6 rally.

The news comes after the lawyer of a man suspected of participating in rioting at the May 6 rally said his client was twice pressured into implicating Navalny in the clashes with police.

Keywords: Russia, Government, Politics - Russian News - Russia

Opposition leaders have been called in for questioning Friday by the Investigative Committee to talk about prominent anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny's appearances at recent large-scale rallies.

file photo"As far as I understand, they are talking about a request filed to look into Alexei Navalny's role at these rallies," Solidarity activist Sergei Davidis told Interfax.

"The Investigative Committee didn't initiate criminal proceedings, but the prosecutor called him back formally ­ the rally organizers hadn't been questioned," he said.

According to Davidis, organizers of a rally held Dec. 5 had been called in for questioning, including Igor Gukovsky, Tatyana Ipatova and Ilya Mishchenko. Organizers of a mass Dec. 24 rally, including Sergei Parkhomenko and Nadezhda Mityushikina, have also been called in.

Davidis, an organizer of the Dec. 24 rally, said he also has a meeting at the Investigative Committee, set for 10 a.m. Friday.

Parkhomenko's wife, Varvara Gornostayeva, also confirmed the news on Facebook, posting a screenshot of a text message from her husband saying he had been summoned. Parkhomenko, currently in Germany, later said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy that it was likely connected to violence at a May 6 rally.

The news comes after the lawyer of a man suspected of participating in rioting at the May 6 rally said his client was twice pressured into implicating Navalny in the clashes with police.