Over 1000 detained as Russian protesters rally in support of opposition leader Navalny

Thousands of people took to streets in Russia demanding the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for a second successive weekend on January 31. According to reports by a monitoring group, over 1000 people have been detained so far by the police and the number will increase. This comes after Russian authorities issued a strong warning against the planned protest. Russian Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk said that participants found violating the COVID-19 preventive measures will face serious charges. 

Why are people protesting? 

Navalny had been in Germany for more than five months after he was airlifted to Berlin for treatment following the infamous poisoning case. Navalny was allegedly poisoned last year in August as he fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. He was taken to the hospital but Russian doctors ruled out poisoning and put him in an artificial coma. Navalny was flown to Germany from Russia at the request of his family and close aides. German doctors and the government announced days later that Navalny was indeed poisoned using Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent.

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(Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. Image Credits: AP)

(Police officers stand blocking enter to the central square in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Image Credits: AP)

The poisoning was blamed on the Russian state, which dismissed the allegations and demanded more proof for starting an investigation in the country. Navalny came out of the coma in September 2020 and months later he expressed his desire to return to Russia. Before Navalny's return, Russian prison authorities had issued a warning asking Navalny to return as soon as possible or face jail for violating 2014 suspended sentence terms. When Navalny got back to Russia, he was arrested by authorities, which sparked widespread protests across the country on January 23. 

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The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia experienced one of the biggest rallies. Thousands were seen marching on the streets and chanting, ‘“Putin, thief!”. In Moscow, authorities have introduced unprecedented security measures. Subway stations near the Kremlin were also closed. Restaurants and stores were also asked to stay shut.

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(Image Credits: AP)