Russian opposition leader Navalny detained in Moscow over rally

Source: Reuters



AUGUST 25, 2018 / 8:43 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber
2 MIN READ

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been detained in Moscow over his participation in an anti-government protest earlier this year, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Navalny was detained outside his Moscow apartment on Saturday afternoon for a reason that was initially unclear. But after he spent a few hours at a police station, Yarmysh said Navalny had been detained over a brief appearance at a rally in Moscow in January that called for a boycott of the presidential election in March that he said would be rigged.

Navalny was not charged but his lawyer said at the time he would have to face court at a later date.

He had been planning protests on Sept. 9 against the Russian government’s unpopular plans to raise the pension age. The opposition leader was barred from running in the March election that President Vladimir Putin won in a landslide victory.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-navalny/russian-opposition-leader-navalny-detained-in-moscow-spokeswoman-idUSKCN1LA0E3