Russian opposition leader freed after brief detention
- 11 years ago
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is free once again after being detained by the police.
The Moscow mayoral candidate had just finished addressing his supporters when the police began surrounding the area.
When Navalny finished, police arrested him for breaching the regulations of mass events conduct, according to Russian media.
Navalny was sentenced to five years in prison last month for theft in a trial he said was instigated by President Vladimir Putin.
He's been out free while appealing his conviction.
Navalny emerged as a popular opposition figure during a wave of anti-government protests in 2011. He has criticized Putin's ruling United Russia, calling it a "party of swindlers and thieves."
The Moscow mayoral candidate had just finished addressing his supporters when the police began surrounding the area.
When Navalny finished, police arrested him for breaching the regulations of mass events conduct, according to Russian media.
Navalny was sentenced to five years in prison last month for theft in a trial he said was instigated by President Vladimir Putin.
He's been out free while appealing his conviction.
Navalny emerged as a popular opposition figure during a wave of anti-government protests in 2011. He has criticized Putin's ruling United Russia, calling it a "party of swindlers and thieves."