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- During new protests over the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in Russia, more than 2,100 people had been arrested on Sunday afternoon, according to human rights activists.
- The Owd-Info portal initially listed more than 470 arrests in the capital Moscow alone. Navalny’s wife is among those arrested.
- The center of Moscow around the Kremlin is almost cordoned off. The police are reacting with massive precautionary measures as they haven’t seen the country in years.
- Actions for the release of Nawalny and against corruption in the country are planned in around 100 cities.
Hundreds of people were arrested not only in Moscow. Also in other cities, such as St. Petersburg in the north of the country and Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, 200 protesters were initially in police custody. The security forces with heavy equipment were sometimes brutal.
Legend:
The police are not scrupulous: they lead the protesters at full speed.
Reuters
In the metropolis of Saint Petersburg, the police reportedly used tear gas and stun guns. An officer threatened with his weapon. Photos from Kazan on the Volga, about 700 kilometers east of Moscow, showed several protesters having to lie down in front of police officers on the wall of a house in the snow.
During a live broadcast of the protests, Nawalny’s team criticized the police operations as “completely disproportionate” and recalled the peaceful nature of the protests.
Navalny’s wife among those arrested
Journalists have also been arrested. The journalists’ union initially spoke to 50 media representatives. They were taken into police custody even though they could have identification.
If we keep silent, they will catch each of us tomorrow.
In addition, Navalny’s wife, Julia Navalnaya, was arrested again in Moscow. The 44-year-old had previously posted a photo of herself on the street on Instagram. In another entry with a family photo, she criticized the fact that her husband was jailed for daring to survive the assassination attempt with the chemical warfare agent Novichok.
Navalnaya complained that Alexey’s brother, Oleg Navalny, had been held as a “hostage”. “If we keep quiet, they will catch each of us tomorrow.” He accused President Vladimir Putin of determining the fate of the people at will: he decides “who is locked up, who is poisoned.”
Protesters move to Navalny Prison
In Moscow, after the closure of the city center, people gathered at various points to form protest marches. A train with thousands moved to Moscow’s number one remand prison, popularly known as Sailor Silence. Navalny is detained there. The security forces blocked access to the prison.
Many people shouted: “Freedom for political prisoners!” and “Freedom for Alexei Navalny!” Despite threats from the police, thousands of people were on the streets of many other cities. They also protested against corruption, the arbitrariness of the judiciary and the repression of dissidents under Putin.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters a week ago
Hundreds of thousands of people in more than 100 cities took to the streets for Navalny and against President Vladimir Putin on Saturday last week.
The opposition activist was arrested two weeks ago immediately after his return from Germany, where he was recovering from a poison attack for five months. Navalny blames Putin and the FSB national secret service for the crime. Putin and the FSB reject that.
