Russia accuses US embassy of publishing 'protest routes' to back Kremlin arch-foe Navalny

On Saturday, January 23, Russia accused the US embassy in Moscow of publishing the routes of a planned protest to support Kremlin arch-foe Alexie Navalny. Also, Russia has demanded an explanation from American diplomats. Maria Zakharova, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, took to her official Facebook handle and wrote that the US Embassy in Moscow published ′protests routes′ in Russian cities and threw information about ′′going to the Kremlin''. She asked the embassy to explain if it was an installation or instruction. 

Russia accuses US embassy 

“The US Embassy in Moscow is not the first time showing neglect of diplomatic standards and rules, actively posting messages on social networks in support of inconsistent protest actions in Russian cities. Essentially, it is about promoting violent actions hypocritically declared peaceful protest, in which organizers cynically engage even minors”, wrote Russian Foreign Ministry on its official Facebook handle. With this, they also asked the US authorities to address their own issues. 

Protests in Russia 

Several thousand in support of the release of Navalny headed to anti-the government protests scheduled across 50 Russian cities on Saturday. Calling the congregations ‘illegal’, the Russian law enforcement agents launched a political crackdown arresting scores of Navalny’s supporters to participate in demonstrations and curbed the information online, issuing warnings against the public assembly. Police dispersed mobs in the eastern Khabarovsk region preparing for a rally against the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and issued emergency ‘stay-at-home’ orders. 

Read: Alexei Navalny's Wife Detained By Russian Police At Moscow Protest

In an Instagram message, that he sent via his lawyer, Kremlin's anti-corruption campaigner Navalny told his followers that said he was in good physical and mental health. “Just in case, I am announcing that I don’t plan to either hang myself on a window grill or cut my veins or throat open with a sharpened spoon,” the post read. "I use the staircase very carefully. They measure my blood pressure every day and it’s like a cosmonaut’s so a sudden heart attack is ruled out. I know for a fact that there are many good people outside my prison and that help will come,” he wrote. Furthermore, he appealed to the Russians to come out on the streets and take out demonstrations on Saturday in his support. Navalny's wife, Yulia, said in an online post that she would join the protest despite warnings from the police "for myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share".

Navalny's wife detained

In another significant development, Russian police detained Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the jailed Kremlin critic. She was amongst the 1,090 people who were rounded up by authorities at different rallies on Saturday, according to the OVD-Info monitoring group. In addendum to Navalny’s wife, law enforcers also detained of his close ally Lyubov Sobol. Yulia’ detention came into light after she made an Instagram post from the police van. “Sorry for the poor quality. Very bad light in the paddy wagon", the post, which also had an accompanying picture, read.

Read: Russia Welcomes US Proposal Of Five-year Extension To Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty

Navalny was, on January 17, detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport following his return from German capital Berlin. Navalny, President’s Vladimir’s top critic, was undergoing medical treatment after getting what German authorities declared as poisoning with a Russian nerve agent of Novichok Group. Earlier in December, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) had warned Navalny of a prison term if he did not report back immediately. However, boarding his flight earlier last week, the 44-year-old said that he didn’t think he would be arrested.

Read: Russia Not Satisfied With Germany's Reply On Investigation Into Navalny's Poisoning

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(Image Credits: AP)