Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Detained Ahead of Protest in Moscow

A handout photo made available by Navalny’s Campaign Headquarters shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (C) being detained by Russian police officers during an opposition rally in central Moscow, Russia, 26 March 2017. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on his supporters to join a demonstration in central Moscow despite a ban from Moscow authorities. Throughout Russia the opposition held the so-called anti-corruption rallies. According to reports, dozens of demonstrators have been detained across the country as they called for the resignation of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev over corruption allegations. EPA/EVGENY FELDMAN FOR NAVALNY’S CAMPAIGN HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been detained at home ahead of a planned unauthorised protest in Moscow, his wife says.

“Alexei has been arrested in the entrance to our block of flats,” Yuliya Navalnaya wrote on Twitter, adding “our plans haven’t changed”.

Thousands of his supporters have heeded his call to protest against corruption.

OVD-Info, an NGO, says 121 people have been detained in Moscow and 137 in St Petersburg.

St Petersburg news website Fontanka.ru put the number of detainees there at 300.

There were smaller rallies in other Russian cities.

In a live broadcast by the Russian liberal TV channel Dozhd, protesters in St Petersburg could be heard shouting “shame” as they were detained by police. Among those arrested was Maxim Reznik, the city’s legislative assembly deputy.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: BBC News