Dozens arrested in anti-Putin protest in Novosibirsk

Dozens of protesters were arrested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Sunday during a protest demanding the freedom of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.Thousands of protesters congregated in the Novosibirsk's central square and marched through the city, with similar demonstrations taking place in cities across Russia.

Police have so far detained more than 1,600 people at protests held in cities across Russia's 11 time zones on Sunday, including 93 in Novosibirsk, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.Russian authorities have mounted large-scale efforts to prevent demonstrations after tens of thousands of people rallied across the country last weekend, in the largest and most widespread show of discontent Russia has seen in years.

The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is one of the best-known critics of President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 after returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.