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| Alexei Navalny: Dozens detained in protests in eastern Russia | Alexei Navalny: Dozens detained in protests in eastern Russia |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Police used batons to break up protests in Vladivostok | |
| Dozens of people have been detained as a string of protests begins across Russia in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny. | Dozens of people have been detained as a string of protests begins across Russia in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny. |
| Police have broken up demonstrations in the eastern Khabarovsk region, amid stern warnings for people to stay home. | Police have broken up demonstrations in the eastern Khabarovsk region, amid stern warnings for people to stay home. |
| Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including a spokeswoman and one of his lawyers, were detained in the run up to Saturday's protests. | Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including a spokeswoman and one of his lawyers, were detained in the run up to Saturday's protests. |
| Mr Navalny is Russian leader Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic. | Mr Navalny is Russian leader Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic. |
| His supporters flooded social media with calls to rally at protests expected later in up to 60 Russian cities. | His supporters flooded social media with calls to rally at protests expected later in up to 60 Russian cities. |
| Who is Russia's vociferous Putin critic? | Who is Russia's vociferous Putin critic? |
| 'Let him go!' - Navalny activists defy bitter cold | 'Let him go!' - Navalny activists defy bitter cold |
| He was arrested last Sunday after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August. | He was arrested last Sunday after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August. |
| On his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him, and called on his supporters to protest. | On his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him, and called on his supporters to protest. |
| Alexei Navalny was filmed by the BBC saying goodbye to his wife and then being led away by authorities | Alexei Navalny was filmed by the BBC saying goodbye to his wife and then being led away by authorities |
| What's happened so far? | What's happened so far? |
| Russia's Far East saw some of the first protests on Saturday, but reports conflict over how many of Mr Navalny's supporters turned up. | Russia's Far East saw some of the first protests on Saturday, but reports conflict over how many of Mr Navalny's supporters turned up. |
| One independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok but local authorities there put the figure at 500. | One independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok but local authorities there put the figure at 500. |
| Video footage from the city showed riot police chasing a group of protesters down the street, Reuters reports. | Video footage from the city showed riot police chasing a group of protesters down the street, Reuters reports. |
| Meanwhile protesters braved temperatures of -50C (-58F) in the Siberian city of Yakutsk. | Meanwhile protesters braved temperatures of -50C (-58F) in the Siberian city of Yakutsk. |
| OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said 48 people had been detained across the country by police so far, including 13 in Khabarovsk. | OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said 48 people had been detained across the country by police so far, including 13 in Khabarovsk. |
| Police warned that unsanctioned protests would be "immediately suppressed" | |
| Protesters - and police - braved freezing conditions in Yakutsk | Protesters - and police - braved freezing conditions in Yakutsk |
| A demonstrator at the rally in Khabarovsk holds up a sign saying: "Strength is in the truth" | A demonstrator at the rally in Khabarovsk holds up a sign saying: "Strength is in the truth" |
| Russian authorities have vowed a tough crackdown, with police saying any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations will be "immediately suppressed". | Russian authorities have vowed a tough crackdown, with police saying any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations will be "immediately suppressed". |
| Unauthorised rallies are planned in more than 60 cities across the country, with one in Moscow's central Pushkin Square due to start at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT). | Unauthorised rallies are planned in more than 60 cities across the country, with one in Moscow's central Pushkin Square due to start at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT). |
| Police have erected hundreds of metal barriers around the square in a bid to thwart any demonstration attempts. | Police have erected hundreds of metal barriers around the square in a bid to thwart any demonstration attempts. |
| Mr Navalny's wife Yulia, who travelled back to Russia with him from Germany, said she would join the Moscow demonstration "for myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share". | Mr Navalny's wife Yulia, who travelled back to Russia with him from Germany, said she would join the Moscow demonstration "for myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share". |
| The social media app TikTok, which is popular among teenagers, has been flooded with videos from Russians promoting Saturday's protests and viral messages about Mr Navalny. | The social media app TikTok, which is popular among teenagers, has been flooded with videos from Russians promoting Saturday's protests and viral messages about Mr Navalny. |
| Russia's education ministry has told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations. | Russia's education ministry has told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations. |
| Which aides were detained? | Which aides were detained? |
| Several of Mr Navalny's key aides were taken into police custody in the days leading up to Saturday's protests, including his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and one of his lawyers, Lyubov Sobol. They face fines or short jail terms. | Several of Mr Navalny's key aides were taken into police custody in the days leading up to Saturday's protests, including his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and one of his lawyers, Lyubov Sobol. They face fines or short jail terms. |
| Ms Sobol has since been released, but Ms Yarmysh has now been jailed for nine days. | Ms Sobol has since been released, but Ms Yarmysh has now been jailed for nine days. |
| Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh is accused of violating protest laws | Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh is accused of violating protest laws |
| Prominent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar. | Prominent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar. |
| In a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. | In a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. |
| The video has been watched by more than 65m people. | The video has been watched by more than 65m people. |
| Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film | Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film |
| Why Navalny makes the Kremlin nervous | Why Navalny makes the Kremlin nervous |
| For a long time the Russian authorities made out that Alexei Navalny was irrelevant. Just a blogger. With a tiny following. No threat whatsoever. | For a long time the Russian authorities made out that Alexei Navalny was irrelevant. Just a blogger. With a tiny following. No threat whatsoever. |
| Recent events suggest the opposite. First Mr Navalny was targeted with a nerve agent, allegedly by a secret group of FSB state security hitmen. Instead of investigating the poisoning, Russia is investigating him: on his return from Germany the Kremlin critic was arrested. | Recent events suggest the opposite. First Mr Navalny was targeted with a nerve agent, allegedly by a secret group of FSB state security hitmen. Instead of investigating the poisoning, Russia is investigating him: on his return from Germany the Kremlin critic was arrested. |
| Having put Mr Navalny behind bars, the authorities are putting pressure on his supporters. The Kremlin's greatest fear is of a Ukraine-style revolution in Russia that would sweep away those in power. | Having put Mr Navalny behind bars, the authorities are putting pressure on his supporters. The Kremlin's greatest fear is of a Ukraine-style revolution in Russia that would sweep away those in power. |
| There's no indication that such a scenario is imminent. But with economic problems growing, the Kremlin will worry that Mr Navalny could act as a lightning rod for protest sentiment. That explains the police crackdown on Navalny allies ahead of Saturday's potential protests. | There's no indication that such a scenario is imminent. But with economic problems growing, the Kremlin will worry that Mr Navalny could act as a lightning rod for protest sentiment. That explains the police crackdown on Navalny allies ahead of Saturday's potential protests. |
| Plus, this is getting personal. Mr Navalny's video about "Putin's Palace" on the Black Sea was designed to cause maximum embarrassment to the Russian president. | Plus, this is getting personal. Mr Navalny's video about "Putin's Palace" on the Black Sea was designed to cause maximum embarrassment to the Russian president. |
| Who is Alexei Navalny? | Who is Alexei Navalny? |
| Mr Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner and the most prominent face of Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin | Mr Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner and the most prominent face of Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin |
| He attempted to stand in the 2018 presidential race, but was barred because of an embezzlement conviction that he says was politically motivated | He attempted to stand in the 2018 presidential race, but was barred because of an embezzlement conviction that he says was politically motivated |
| Alexei Navalny returned to Russia last weekend on a plane packed full of journalists | Alexei Navalny returned to Russia last weekend on a plane packed full of journalists |
| An outspoken blogger, he has millions of Russian followers on social media and managed to get some supporters elected to local councils in Siberia in 2020. | An outspoken blogger, he has millions of Russian followers on social media and managed to get some supporters elected to local councils in Siberia in 2020. |
| Last August, Mr Navalny, 44, was almost killed in a nerve agent attack, which he blamed personally on Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Last August, Mr Navalny, 44, was almost killed in a nerve agent attack, which he blamed personally on Russian President Vladimir Putin. |
| The Kremlin denies involvement. The opposition politician's allegations have, however, been backed up by reports from investigative journalists. | The Kremlin denies involvement. The opposition politician's allegations have, however, been backed up by reports from investigative journalists. |
| Russia has come under pressure from the US and EU to release Mr Navalny after his arrest last weekend when he returned to the country for the first time since his poisoning. | Russia has come under pressure from the US and EU to release Mr Navalny after his arrest last weekend when he returned to the country for the first time since his poisoning. |