Russian opposition leader arrested in Moscow on day of protest

FAN Editor

MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been arrested in Moscow as protest demonstrations calling for a boycott of Russia’s presidential election take place across the country.

Police raided the Moscow Navalny’s office Sunday morning. A video stream from Navalny’s headquarters showed police entering the office. One broadcaster on the stream said police apparently were using a grinder to try to get access to the broadcast studio. The anchors said police said they had come because of a bomb threat.

Navalny is barred from Russian television but attracts a wide audience on YouTube and social media. He told “60 Minutes” in December that he has raised almost $4 million from Russian supporters.

Navalny said on Twitter “they have detained me. This doesn’t mean anything … you didn’t come out for me, but for your future.” He has called on supporters to continue the demonstrations despite his arrest.

An anchor, Dmitri Nizovtsev, was detained by police during the raid, according to video broadcast by the headquarters. Navalny’s Moscow coordinator, Nikolai Lyaskin, also was detained on Sunday, the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. 

Navalny, who has been blocked from running in Russia’s March 18 presidential election, called for nationwide protests on Sunday. 

Sizeable gatherings have been reported Sunday in the Far East and Siberia, including one in remote Yakutsk where the temperature reportedly was minus-45 C (minus-49 F). More are set for Moscow and St. Petersburg in the afternoon. 

Several hundred demonstrators assembled on the center square of the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, complaining both of President Vladimir Putin, who is running for a fourth term, and of the exclusion of Navalny. 

Navalny was prevented from running because of his conviction on an embezzlement charge in a case widely seen as politically motivated. 

“They took these elections away from us, they took away our votes. Our candidate was not allowed to run,” said Vladivostok demonstrator Dmitri Kutyaev. 

Navalny rose to prominence with detailed reports about corruption among top Russian officials, which he popularized on social media to circumvent state control of television. 

Last year, he called for two demonstrations which attracted people throughout the country, undermining critics’ claims that he appeals only to a narrow segment of prosperous urbanites.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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