Kremlin critic says Moscow trying to ‘sanitize’ political opposition before election

A Kremlin critic is accusing Moscow of “trying to sanitize” political opposition before voters head to the polls for a parliamentary election in September.

In a virtual interview with The Associated Press, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, speaking from London, said the latest crackdowns on dissents by Russian authorities are happening because the government is trying to narrow the field ahead of the vote.

“They are trying to sanitize the political environment before the election,” said Khodorkovsky, a Russian tycoon who spent a decade in prison on charges that were widely considered political revenge for challenging President Vladimir Putin.

Russian authorities have increased pressure on critical voices recently, as the government eyes the Sept. 19 parliamentary election.

The AP reports that that includes the Open Russian movement, which is financed by Khodorkovsky. The group, however, reportedly dissolved itself last week, allegedly to protect its members from prosecution after Russian authorities labeled it as “undesirable.”

Khodorkovsky said the suppressive actions are an attempt to try to sideline opponents of Putin, calling them a “theatrical performance.”

“Any candidates that the government isn’t happy with will simply not be allowed to run,” he said.

Andrei Pivovarov, the head of Open Russia, and opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov both faced direct pressure last week.

Pivovarov was pulled off a plane bound for Warsaw at the St. Petersburg airport just before takeoff on Monday, according to the AP. He was transferred to Krasnodar in southern Russia the following day as part of a criminal probe against him.

Police on Tuesday raided the country home of Gudkov, a former lawmaker who has aspirations to run for president, according to the AP. The homes of at least two of his associates were also searched.

Khodorkovsky said authorities are taking precautionary measures against the opposition out of concern that the upcoming election could spark protests.

“The government is afraid of potential protests that could emerge if they cheat too flagrantly,” he said, adding that despite the mounting pressure, his support for opposition candidates remains intact.

Chief Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to nearly three years in prison in February on charges that international observers say were motivated purely by politics. Navalny said last week that he is the subject of three additional criminal probes.