Authorities in Russia said it was "an internal matter" after the opposition figure was ordered to pre-trial detention for 30 days on Monday in a hastily assembled court hearing.
Monday, 18 Jan 2021 07:07 AM MYT
Russian opposition figure Lyubov Sobol takes part in a rally in Moscow February 29, 2020. Reuters pic
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MOSCOW, Jan 18 Russian police yesterday detained four top allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny at a Moscow airport where they were to meet him on his return from Germany, a senior associate said.
Ivan Zhdanov, the head of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on Twitter that key ally Lyubov Sobol was among the four detained. Footage shot by local journalists showed police leading her and the others away.
A crowd of Navalny supporters outside the precinct shouted “Shame!” as the judge announced the ruling and Navalny’s allies immediately called for protests.
A Russian judge has ordered the opposition leader to be jailed for 30 days after the leading Kremlin critic returned to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from nerve agent poisoning.