Russians take to streets to support opposition politician Navalny


On January 23rd, rallies for the release of politician Alexei Navalny were held all over Russia. Rallies were held from the Far East to Kaliningrad. For the past two days, Russian authorities have been threatening activists and even schoolchildren, detaining and arresting coordinators and volunteers for Navalny’s headquarters. Anti-Corruption Foundation activists were taken to detention centers. Our colleagues at Vot Tak TV covered the protests on site.

WHAT LED TO THE RALLIES

Politician Alexei Navalny was detained at Sheremetyevo airport on January 17. On that day, he was returning to Russia after being treated at Berlin’s Charité clinic, where he had been taken in August 2020 after an attempted murder with Novichok, a military poison. Investigators discovered that FSB was behind the murder attempt.

Even before Navalny’s return, the Federal Penitentiary Service (FPS) announced that it had put the politician on a wanted list. According to the prison service, Navalny violated the terms of his probation in the Yves Rocher case. Allegedly, the inspectorate did not know about his treatment and address in Germany. However, the politician’s lawyers denied this. The Federal Penitentiary Service demanded to change Navalny’s term from suspended to real. And, according to the agency, until the court resolves this issue, the politician must remain in custody.

On January 18, Judge Elena Morozova of the Khimki City Court sent Navalny to the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center for 30 days. The session of the “off-site court” took place right in the police department No. 2 of the Khimki Department of Internal Affairs. Lawyers filed an appeal.

Navalny’s supporters announced a national rally on January 23. The actions were initiated by the local headquarters of the politician. In the days leading up to the rally, law enforcement officials detained dozens of activists, including workers from FBK and Navalny LIVE. Others received warnings that their protest actions were inadmissible.

After his detention, Navalny’s Youtube channel published a video investigation of President Vladimir Putin’s secret palace.

The palace is located on the Black Sea coast in the village of Praskoveyevka in the Krasnodar region. It is stated that Putin’s residence has an underground ice palace, its own casino, theater, large vineyards, several helipads and much more.

The video has already been viewed more than 60 million times.

Special forces are on duty at the detention center where Alexei Navalny is being held.

Part of the protesters in Moscow went to the detention center where Navalny is being held.

Arseny Vesnin, a correspondent for Ekho Moskvy and Vot Tak TV, was detained live on air. The police took away his phone.

Reuters estimates that at least 40,000 people gathered in downtown Moscow on Saturday for the protest. 1,090 people were detained today at protests in Russia – OVDinfo.

Nevsky Prospect was blocked in St. Petersburg. As Vot Tak TV correspondent clarifies, a total of about 30,000 people are taking part in the rally. Yulia Navalnaya was detained in Moscow.

Navalny’s associate Lyubov Sobol was detained in Moscow.

According to the IAB-Info, over 2,500 people were detained at the rallies that day

Clashes between protesters and police at a rally in support of Navalny on Pushkin Square in Moscow. January 23, 2021. Photo: Georgy “Martin” Malets / Vot Tak TV

Clashes between protesters and police at a rally in support of Navalny on Pushkin Square in Moscow. January 23, 2021.
Photo: Georgy “Martin” Malets / Vot Tak TV

https://twitter.com/JAVAROB2/status/1352940663655038976

 

Blogger Ilya Varlamov was detained but later released.

Ivan Maslau / Vot Tak TV

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