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Putin critic Alexei Navalny jailed for 30 days for organising anti-corruption rallies | Putin critic Alexei Navalny jailed for 30 days for organising anti-corruption rallies |
(35 minutes later) | |
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been jailed for 30 days by a court in Russia after authorities accused him of helping to organise public protests. | Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been jailed for 30 days by a court in Russia after authorities accused him of helping to organise public protests. |
Mr Navalny was detained on his way to a protest in central Moscow – one of more than 100 organised across the country. | Mr Navalny was detained on his way to a protest in central Moscow – one of more than 100 organised across the country. |
The demonstrations coincided with Russia Day, a national holiday, and triggered a fierce response from riot police who quickly swept in to make arrests. | |
Over 800 people were detained in Moscow, while in St Petersburg, about 500 were forced into police buses at a rally that drew up to 10,000 people. | Over 800 people were detained in Moscow, while in St Petersburg, about 500 were forced into police buses at a rally that drew up to 10,000 people. |
Mr Navalny, who has vowed to stand in the 2018 Russian presidential election, possibly against Mr Putin if the incumbent decides to run for reelection, helped coordinate the demonstrations. | |
Some of the rallies were permitted by authorities and passed peacefully, but police cracked down brutally on others. | |
Mr Navalny's wife, Yulia, earlier said her husband was arrested at the entrance to his home in Moscow about half an hour before the demonstration was due to begin. | |
Mr Navalny was jailed in March after he organised massive anti-government protests across Russia. | |
Then, thousands of anti-corruption protesters took to the streets of Moscow and other cities demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. | |
The political activist was sentenced to 15 days in prison after a court ruled he had disobeyed instructions from a police officer during the demonstration. | |
Mr Navalny is arguably Russia’s best known and most popular opposition leader, running on a campaign to clean up Russia’s political system and tackle corruption in politics and the courts, as well as huge disparities in wealth. | |
However, opinion polls suggest he would stand little chance of beating Mr Putin, who continues to enjoy favourable ratings. |
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