On 14 April 2015 a Moscow court sentenced Georgy Alburov, an employee of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, to 240 hours community service for the alleged theft of a painting, entitled “Bad and Good Man”, by a street artist in the city of Vladimir, 200 km east of Moscow. Alburov, who has made a reputation for exposing the wealth of highly-placed government officials, maintains his innocence and claims the accusations against him were politically motivated. The New York Times commented: ‘In
his closing remarks at the trial, Mr. Alburov insisted that the prosecution was politically motivated, and related more to his research into the ill-gotten gains of senior officials, than any desire to protect Mr. Sotov’s street art.’ The officers seized the painting described by the New York Times as ‘a grimy piece of street art’, in a search of Navalny's apartment. The artist, Sergei Sotov, was reported as saying he had no claims against Navalny or his associates.
Sources:
Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, ‘Navalny Ally Sentenced to Community Service Over Alleged Artwork Theft,’
The Moscow Times, 14 April 2015
‘Navalny's associate gets 240 hours of community service for theft of painting,’
RAPSI, 14 April 2015
Robert Mackey, ‘Anticorruption Activist in Russia Sentenced for Street Art “Theft”’,
The New York Times, 14 April 2015
Georgy Alburov’s final words in court can be read (and seen on video) in Russian here:
‘Георгий Албуров: последнее слово,’
Party of Progress, 14 April 2015
And in English translation by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick here:
Navalny Associate Alburov Sentenced to 240 Hours of Community Service over 'Art Theft'; Prosecutor Asked for 3 Years' Suspended, The Interpreter, 14 April 2015