The trial of an ally of imprisoned Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny began on Monday in Russia, charged with establishing an "extremist organization," according to a court spokesperson as reported by AFP. This trial is the latest in a series of cases brought against one of the Kremlin's fiercest critics, within the context of a heightened security campaign following Russia's extensive attack on Ukraine last year. Ksenia Fadeyeva (31 years old), a former deputy in the city council of Tomsk in Siberia, was listed as "terrorist" in January 2022. She headed Navalny's political office in Tomsk, where the opposition leader was poisoned with the nerve agent "Novichok" in August 2020 during a visit prior to the elections. Fadeyeva's legal team requested at least ten days to review the court documents, which have been compiled into 90 volumes, but the judge postponed the session for only one day, according to local media. Fadeyeva was elected to a seat in the Tomsk legislative council in 2020, alongside other independent activists in Siberia, seen as a victory for the Russian opposition against President Vladimir Putin's rule. The local elections came a year before legislative elections and were seen as a blow to the Kremlin, as the ruling party's popularity declined amidst public anger over the economic situation. However, in 2021, Navalny's political offices were classified as "extremist organizations," putting employees, volunteers, and supporters at risk of legal persecution. Many of his allies left Russia, but Fadeyeva chose not to flee and was arrested in December on charges of organizing an "extremist" group. AFP