Arrest of Alexei Navalny, Opposition Politician, at Moscow Protest

Alexei Navalny, the opposition politician in Russia, was arrested on Sunday, March 25, during a protest organized against corruption in downtown Moscow. Roman Rubanov, head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Navalny, confirmed the news of his arrest by police officers. Reuters reported that as Navalny was being arrested, hundreds gathered around a police car trying to prevent his detention. Among the hundreds of participants in the Moscow protest, dozens have also been arrested. Reports indicate that similar protests in other Russian cities such as Vladivostok, Omsk, and Khabarovsk have also seen some arrests. Reuters estimates that dozens have been detained in these cities. This is considered the largest protest against the Russian government since 2011. The protest on Sunday took place under the condition that the Kremlin deemed it 'illegal.' According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Moscow police, labeling the protest as illegal, urged residents of the Russian capital not to participate. Previously, Navalny had announced on his website that protests were to be held in 99 large and small cities across Russia. However, local authorities in 27 cities, including Novosibirsk, allowed the protests to take place. The planning for these protests came after Navalny's foundation published a report accusing Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, of corruption. The Prime Minister has been accused of asking wealthy individuals and state banks to donate to charitable foundations and NGOs, and then using those donations to purchase expensive assets. Reports indicate that Medvedev has not yet responded to these allegations. In this context, the European Court of Human Rights condemned the ruling against the leader of the opposition to Putin. Two members of Pussy Riot were among those arrested in Moscow. Navalny returned to Moscow with promises of victory in the municipal elections. The Russian police arrested a group of prominent protesting supporters.