Russia Jails Navalny Protester for 4 Years May 20, 2021 Yevgeny Yesenov was among the 10,000 people detained across 100 Russian cities at this winter s protests demanding Navalny s freedom. Moscow s Presnensky District Court / TASS
A Moscow court sentenced a Russian businessman to four years in jail Thursday for attacking a riot police officer during a rally in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny this winter.
Yevgeny Yesenov was among the 10,000 people detained across 100 Russian cities in January and February when they took to the streets demanding freedom for the fierce Putin foe and anti-corruption campaigner. Authorities opened 90 criminal investigations in the wake of the unauthorized rallies and charged dozens of protesters with using violence against law enforcement officers.
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Mr Navalny's brother Oleg, as well as allies Lyubov Sobol, Anastasiya Vasilyeva and Oleg Stepanov, were all placed under house arrest until 23 March for calling for protests last weekend that could have posed a COVID-19 risk.
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A Russian court ordered on Friday that the brother and several allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny be put under house arrest while Moscow police said they would close metro stations and streets near the Kremlin ahead of planned protests.
The court rulings are part of a crackdown targeting Mr Navalny’s allies after tens of thousands of people joined unsanctioned protests across Russia last Saturday to demand that the Kremlin release him from jail.
Mr Navalny’s supporters plan to hold further protest rallies across Russia this Sunday. The authorities have said they are illegal and have vowed to break them up.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.
Navalny’s supporters called for rallies on Sunday to demand his release. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across Russia last weekend to protest his Jan. 17 arrest and 30-day detention.
Moscow police announced that pedestrian movement would be restricted in the city center on Sunday and that subway stations in the vicinity of the planned protest site would be closed. Restaurants and stores in the area also will be closed, mayoral aide Alexei Nemeryuk was quoted as saying by the state news agency Tass.