Russian police raid opposition group and its allies ahead of local elections

Members of a state investigation team are seen at the Open Russia opposition group's office in this still image taken from CCTV footage obtained by Reuters, in Moscow, Russia September 9, 2020. Tatyana Usmanova - Open Russia/Handout via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police carried out searches on Wednesday at the Open Russia opposition group's office in Moscow and the homes of several opposition activists running in local elections this weekend, raids that the Kremlin's critics described as intimidation.

The Open Russia group financed by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky said the police searches were taking place as part of an old criminal investigation into Yukos, a defunct oil giant once owned by Khodorkovsky.