Police raid office of Khodorkovsky-backed charity in Moscow

MOSCOW – Police are raiding the Moscow office of a charity foundation bankrolled by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a top foe of President Vladimir Putin.

The foundation, Open Russia, said on its website on Thursday that police arrived at the office in early afternoon and were searching it without providing any explanation.

The search comes two days before the foundation was going to hold protest rallies against Putin. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, spent 10 years in prison on what was widely described as politicized charges before he was pardoned in December 2013 and fled abroad.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that authorities would react "within the framework of the law" if the unsanctioned rallies go ahead on Saturday.