In support of Alexei Navalny – President Putin’s most vocal critic – Anti-corruption protesters have been out on the streets all over Russia.
Navalny – an anti-corruption campaigner who had been recovering in Berlin from a near-fatal nerve agent attack – arrived back in Moscow last Sunday and was arrested immediately upon arrival.
Protesters – who are heard chanting “Putin is a thief!” – demanded for the release of Navalny, as well as other political prisoners.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
In Moscow, heavily armed police were swinging their batons and detaining people near Pushkin Square before the demonstration had even begun.
At least 3,000 have been detained, including Alexei’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya – who led the protests in support of her husband.
In the far east of Moscow, in Kamchatka, protesters were seen carrying placards reading “Corruption is the cancer of our country” and “I’m choosing Freedom”.
Navalny’s supporters believe his arrest was politically motivated and reports suggest that he could remain in prison for over a decade.