Russian police detain over 450 at protests against jailed Kremlin critic Navalny’s jailing
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MOSCOW (Reuters) – Police detained more than 450 people at rallies in Siberia and Russia’s Far East on Sunday as supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny took to the streets to protest his jailing, despite biting cold and the threat of arrest.
The rallies, also set to take place in Moscow and other cities later on Sunday, follow large protests last weekend and are part of a campaign to pressure the Kremlin into freeing President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent.
The opposition politician was arrested on Jan. 17 after returning to Moscow from Germany where he had been recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Russia last summer. He accuses Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies.
Russian police officers detain protesters during an unauthorized protest in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Moscow, Russia, 31 January 2021. Navalny was detained after his arrival to Moscow from Germany on 17 January 2021. A Moscow judge on 18 January ruled that he will remain in custody for 30 days following his airport arrest. Navalny urged Russians to take to the streets to protest. In many Russian cities mass events are prohibited due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV
Police have said the protests have not been authorised and will be broken up, as they were last weekend. Over 4,000 people were detained at those rallies, according to OVD-Info, a protest monitoring group.
In the far eastern city of Vladivostok, where a protest began at 0200 GMT, police prevented protesters from accessing the centre, forcing them to relocate to the waterfront and the frozen waters of the Amur Bay.
Reporting Tom Balmforth and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber
