Russian police arrest protesters demanding Alexei Navalny’s release

23 January 2021, 08:44

Russia Navalny
Russia Navalny. Picture: PA

Large demonstrations are expected in Moscow and other major cities.

Russian police are arresting protesters demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny at demonstrations in the country’s east, and larger unsanctioned rallies are expected later on Saturday in Moscow and other major cities.

Mr Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent and durable foe, was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from a severe nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Authorities say his stay in Germany violated the terms of a suspended sentence in a criminal conviction in a case that Mr Navalny says was illegitimate.

Russia Navalny
Alexei Navalny was arrested after returning to Moscow from Germany (Mstyslav Chernov/AP)

He is due to appear in court in early February to determine if he will serve the three-and-a-half-year sentence in prison.

The OVD-Info organisation, which monitors political detentions, said at least 48 people were arrested in cities including Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Organisers in Vladivostok said about 3,000 people turned out for the protest there.

Turnout is likely to be much larger for the afternoon protest planned in Moscow, which the city’s mayor and other authorities have warned people against attending.

Moscow police on Thursday arrested three top Navalny associates, two of whom were later jailed for periods of nine and 10 days.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus falls from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

American Easter egg

White House’s annual Easter egg roll to be attended by 40,000 people

Barbers in Paris

Proposal to ban discrimination over a person’s hair passes first legal hurdle

Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian Authority names new government following pressure to reform

Arvind Kejriwal

Opposition leader Kejriwal locked up for further four days, court rules

Resident clears rubble from home

Russia wears down Ukrainian defences with missile and drone attacks

Pope Francis

Pope urges priests to avoid ‘clerical hypocrisy’ in Maundy Thursday speech