Russian prosecutor freezes activity of Kremlin critic Navalny's regional groups

State prosecutors in Moscow formally suspended the activity of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's regional campaign groups on Monday pending a court ruling on whether to label them extremist, a lawyer for Navalny's group said.

A court met for a preliminary hearing in Moscow on Monday to consider a prosecutor's request to label Navalny's groups as extremist.

At the hearing, prosecutors asked the court to prohibit Navalny's groups from publishing anything online, organizing protests, and taking part in elections, Leonid Volkov, a Navalny ally said.