Russia: Thousands protest for liberation

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A day of protest over the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny set out today (Saturday) for thousands who have already demonstrated for his release in eastern Russian cities.

Across Russia protesters release Nabalani // Photo: Reuters

In the cities of Vladivostok and Irkutsk in Siberia, tens of thousands of demonstrators took part in a noisy street, in freezing cold, and even confronted the riot police. The large number of demonstrators in many cases prevented the dispersal of the demonstrations.

The protest, which is spreading west, is expected to take place in 66 cities across Russia. In the capital, Moscow, police arrested many of Navalny’s staff in order to prevent them from leading the demonstrations. Julia Navalny, the wife of the opposition man, is expected to lead the demonstration in the capital. Thousands of people have already confirmed their participation on social media, despite the Kremlin’s demand that the authority remove the events.

Alexei Navalny was arrested on Sunday after returning to Russia from lengthy medical treatment in Berlin. Navalny has recovered from a failed assassination attempt by the Russian security organization FSB, which used Novichuk military nerve gas. Details of the assassination attempt, including the names of members of the assassination squad, were published by the “Blinkket” case website.

Navalny’s arrest was accompanied by allegations that he violated the conditional sentence imposed on him in 2014, when he left Russia for Germany in order to receive life-saving treatment. Following his arrest, Navalny’s organization published a comprehensive investigation that exposed the corruption and failures surrounding the construction of the abandoned Palace of Glory of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea region.

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