A Russian court has issued an arrest warrant for Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of slain opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in a move widely seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent by the Kremlin.

, who currently resides abroad, would face immediate detention upon her return to Russia.

Moscow’s Basmanny District Court ruled to arrest Navalnaya on charges related to alleged involvement in an extremist group.

Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in February while serving a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges he vehemently denounced as politically motivated. While authorities attributed his death to an undisclosed illness after a walk, they have provided no further details.

Navalny’s imprisonment stemmed from his return to Moscow in January 2021 following recovery from a nerve agent poisoning in Germany, which he blamed on the Kremlin.

Navalnaya has publicly accused Putin of her husband’s death and vowed to continue his legacy of activism. Russian officials have steadfastly denied any involvement in Navalny’s poisoning or death.

On social media, Navalnaya mocked the court’s order, arguing that Putin himself should be the one facing prosecution. Her spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, described the ruling as a recognition of Navalnaya’s “merits.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took to X to express his condemnation of the Moscow court’s decision, calling it “an arrest warrant against the desire for freedom and democracy” and acknowledging Navalnaya’s dedication to carrying on her husband’s work.

Russian authorities have yet to disclose the specific charges against Navalnaya. These charges appear to be linked to the government’s designation of Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption as an extremist organization. The 2021 court ruling that outlawed Navalny’s group forced his close associates and team members to flee Russia.

In recent months, numerous journalists have been incarcerated on similar charges related to their reporting on Navalny.

, the crackdown on independent journalists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin has intensified since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.