RUSSIA: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is detained after giving a speech to supporters ahead of mayoral election in September

Record ID: 860101

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is detained after giving a speech to supporters ahead of mayoral election in September
  • Date: 25th August 2013
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 25, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER AND MOSCOW MAYORAL CANDIDATE ALEXEI NAVALNY ADDRESSING SUPPORTERS NAVALNY'S SUPPORTERS VARIOUS OF POLICE APPROACHING STAGE NAVALNY SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS, LEAVING STAGE NAVALNY BEING GUIDED AWAY BY POLICE OFFICERS PUTTING NAVALNY IN POLICE BUS NAVALNY SUPPORTERS STANDING NEXT TO BUS, SPEAKING TO POLICE BUS WITH NAVALNY INSIDE LEAVING VARIOUS OF NAVALNY SUPPORTERS SPEAKING TO MEDIA, POLICE, ASKING WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR HIM BEING DETAINED
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3AXMT8FGCA05FPQ9JEH51AAZ8
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detained by police in the Russian capital Moscow on Sunday (August 25) night after giving a speech to his supporters ahead of mayoral election that takes place on September 8.
    Navalny, who emerged from a wave of anti-government protests that began in 2011 as the most popular opposition figure, was sentenced to five years in prison last month for theft after a trial he said was instigated by President Vladimir Putin.
    Despite his sentence, Navalny is free pending a ruling on the appeal against his conviction and is running for mayor of Moscow, which he says is to show that Putin's opponents have popular support even though the protests have faded.
    Navalny was addressing the crowd from a stage on Sunday night, when the police began surrounding the area.
    After his speech, a dozen of police officers guided Navalny to a police bus and drove him away, prompting questions from his supporters, election campaign colleagues, and media.
    Navalny twitted an hour after his detention, saying that he was well and had been released. Russian media quoted police officials saying that he was detained because he breached the regulations of mass events conduct.
    Polls suggest Navalny has no chance of winning in the mayoral election, but a strong showing for the activist and anti-corruption blogger, whose description of ruling United Russia as a "party of swindlers and thieves", would embarrass Putin.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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