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| Alexei Navalny ‘detained’ at anti-Putin election protest | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Russian opposition leader’s offices were raided by police ahead of countrywide rallies | The Russian opposition leader’s offices were raided by police ahead of countrywide rallies |
| Marc Bennetts and agencies in Moscow | Marc Bennetts and agencies in Moscow |
| Sun 28 Jan 2018 10.56 GMT | Sun 28 Jan 2018 10.56 GMT |
| First published on Sun 28 Jan 2018 07.11 GMT | First published on Sun 28 Jan 2018 07.11 GMT |
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| The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained by police shortly after joining a rally in Moscow on Sunday. | The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained by police shortly after joining a rally in Moscow on Sunday. |
| Surrounded by supporters, the 41-year-old chanted “swindlers and thieves” before being held by officers at an unsanctioned gathering in the city centre amid heavy police presence. | Surrounded by supporters, the 41-year-old chanted “swindlers and thieves” before being held by officers at an unsanctioned gathering in the city centre amid heavy police presence. |
| “I have been detained,” Navalny tweeted. “This means nothing. Come to Tverskaya,” he said referring to Moscow’s main thoroughfare. “You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future.” | “I have been detained,” Navalny tweeted. “This means nothing. Come to Tverskaya,” he said referring to Moscow’s main thoroughfare. “You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future.” |
| He had earlier called for protests in dozens of cities on Sunday ahead of the presidential election on 18 March, which his supporters say will be rigged, and is expected to keep Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin until 2024. | He had earlier called for protests in dozens of cities on Sunday ahead of the presidential election on 18 March, which his supporters say will be rigged, and is expected to keep Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin until 2024. |
| “Your life is at stake,” Navalny told supporters in a video address released ahead of the rally. “How many more years do you want to live with these thieves, bigots and perverts in power? We’ve already endured this for 18 years.” | “Your life is at stake,” Navalny told supporters in a video address released ahead of the rally. “How many more years do you want to live with these thieves, bigots and perverts in power? We’ve already endured this for 18 years.” |
| Police broke into Navalny’s headquarters in Moscow on Sunday morning, questioning supporters and attempting to disrupt a live online broadcast of the protests. | Police broke into Navalny’s headquarters in Moscow on Sunday morning, questioning supporters and attempting to disrupt a live online broadcast of the protests. |
| Roman Rubanov, a Navalny supporter, wrote on social media that the police had said they were looking into reports that there was a bomb in the office, something he said came as a surprise to him. | Roman Rubanov, a Navalny supporter, wrote on social media that the police had said they were looking into reports that there was a bomb in the office, something he said came as a surprise to him. |
| Authorities have refused to grant permission for rallies in Moscow and St Petersburg, raising the prospect of mass arrests. | Authorities have refused to grant permission for rallies in Moscow and St Petersburg, raising the prospect of mass arrests. |
| Fourteen people were arrested at a rally in Kemerovo, a city in western Siberia. Other opposition supporters braved temperatures of -45C to attend a protest in Yakutsk. | Fourteen people were arrested at a rally in Kemerovo, a city in western Siberia. Other opposition supporters braved temperatures of -45C to attend a protest in Yakutsk. |
| Navalny, an anti-corruption lawyer, was jailed three times last year after bringing tens of thousands of people on to the streets for anti-Putin protests. He was also nearly blinded when a pro-Kremlin supporter threw a chemical into his face. | Navalny, an anti-corruption lawyer, was jailed three times last year after bringing tens of thousands of people on to the streets for anti-Putin protests. He was also nearly blinded when a pro-Kremlin supporter threw a chemical into his face. |
| Rallies have been planned in more than 100 cities across the country. In most cities, permission to stage rallies was received, Navalny said. | Rallies have been planned in more than 100 cities across the country. In most cities, permission to stage rallies was received, Navalny said. |
| Navalny warned that authorities planned to clamp down on his youngest supporters, tweeting a screenshot of a text message sent around ahead of the rallies. | Navalny warned that authorities planned to clamp down on his youngest supporters, tweeting a screenshot of a text message sent around ahead of the rallies. |
| The message urged parents to make sure their children did not attend the Sunday protests. “Raids are possible,” it said. | The message urged parents to make sure their children did not attend the Sunday protests. “Raids are possible,” it said. |
| Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, warned that unsanctioned rallies would lead to “certain consequences”. | Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, warned that unsanctioned rallies would lead to “certain consequences”. |
| Navalny – seen as the only politician with enough stamina to take on Putin – has built a robust protest movement despite constant police harassment, tapping into the anger of a younger generation yearning for change. | Navalny – seen as the only politician with enough stamina to take on Putin – has built a robust protest movement despite constant police harassment, tapping into the anger of a younger generation yearning for change. |
| He says the upcoming election will be little more than a coronation of Putin, who is widely expected to win a fourth presidential term and extend his power until 2024. | He says the upcoming election will be little more than a coronation of Putin, who is widely expected to win a fourth presidential term and extend his power until 2024. |
| In 2017, Navalny mounted a forceful bid to run for president but officials ruled him ineligible due to a criminal conviction that he says is politically motivated. | In 2017, Navalny mounted a forceful bid to run for president but officials ruled him ineligible due to a criminal conviction that he says is politically motivated. |
| Navalny has said he will use the full force of his campaign – including more than 200,000 volunteers – to organise “voters’ strikes” and encourage Russians to stay away from polling stations on election day. | Navalny has said he will use the full force of his campaign – including more than 200,000 volunteers – to organise “voters’ strikes” and encourage Russians to stay away from polling stations on election day. |
| Alexei Navalny | Alexei Navalny |
| Russia | Russia |
| Europe | Europe |
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