The Prosecutor General’s Office demands the nationalisation of a company because of old posts by its owner

Alexander Vasilyev, co-owner of LanTa, an internet provider in Tambov (a city in central Russia), has reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office is seeking to nationalise his company over social media posts made eleven years ago and donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation. His Facebook post was highlighted by “7×7.”

The authorities are demanding that the LanTa owners—Alexander Zaitsev and Alexander Vasilyev—be declared “extremists” and that their assets, including business interests and property, be confiscated for the benefit of the state.

Vasilyev claims that the lawsuit references his 2014 posts in which he criticised internet censorship, announced the addition of the Dozhd TV channel to the provider’s package, and shared posts by Alexei Navalny. He writes: Both links pointed to posts from 2014, when Navalny had not yet been declared an extremist and was participating in the Moscow mayoral election.

The prosecution has also cited possible donations by Vasilyev to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). He does not rule out that he may indeed have made such donations, but emphasises that the organisation was operating legally in 2020.

According to Vasilyev, the fact of doing business with LanTa co-owner Alexander Zaitsev is another reason cited for the lawsuit. Prosecutors allege that Zaitsev moved to Bulgaria and established the For Free Russia association there together with opposition figure Gennady Gudkov. Vasilyev states that he has not been in contact with Zaitsev for more than five years and does not maintain any ties with him.

As a result, the prosecutor’s office is demanding the confiscation of all his assets, including his share in his parents' apartment.