Navalny allies arrested ahead of new protests
AFP, MOSCOW
Key allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were placed under house arrest ahead of new rallies as Russian authorities warned on Friday that protesters could face charges of taking part in “mass unrest.”
Navalny’s brother, Oleg, and the coordinator of Navalny’s Moscow office, Oleg Stepanov, were placed under house arrest until March 23 after the opposition politician urged Russians to stage fresh nationwide rallies against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 20-year rule today
Prominent activist Lyubov Sobol’s lawyer said the freedom of the 33-year-old — who has a small child — could also be restricted.