NAVALNY BACKER AMONG TWO AMERICANS DETAINED

Law enforcement agents in Russia have detained two Americans in separate incidents in recent weeks — one a Russian-born English teacher who was a vocal supporter of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and a second man who Russian authorities said was caught trying to smuggle his young son out of the country.

Details of the two cases emerged earlier this week in Russian news media reports as well as in a statement from Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's main investigation agency. A State Department spokesperson on Friday confirmed both arrests but declined to provide further details.

Ilya A. Startsev, 37, the English teacher, was among several people arrested in various cities in Russia on Wednesday and accused of donating money to Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, which has been banned, according to OVDInfo, a rights group that reports on repression in Russia, as well as other Russian media outlets.

The foundation, known by its Russian initials FBK, has regularly embarrassed senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, by exposing vast holdings they have accumulated while in office, far beyond what their government paychecks would allow.

The other American was arrested after arriving in Russia on July 27 and accused of trying to kidnap his 4-yearold son, a Russian citizen, and to spirit him across the border into Poland, according to a statement released Thursday by the Investigative Committee, which did not name the man.

Regarding the teacher, the Russian government disbanded the Anti-Corruption Foundation in Russia in 2021 by declaring it an extremist organization, sending the group's main investigators fleeing into exile, where they continue to work. Various Navalny supporters have faced criminal charges in Russia as the Kremlin has ratcheted up repressive measures, especially those trying to silence critics of its war in Ukraine.