Temporary Arrest of Alexei Navalny; Possibility of Imprisonment Before Russian Elections

Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin in Russia, has reported a short-term arrest and stated that he may face imprisonment for a month due to an alleged "administrative violation." Navalny and Leonid Volkov were separately detained briefly on Thursday. Navalny had planned to run in the presidential elections but was barred from participating due to what he claims are fabricated charges. The presidential elections in Russia are scheduled to take place in about three weeks. Reports indicate that due to existing pressures, Navalny and Volkov may be imprisoned during the elections. After being denied permission to participate in the elections, Navalny called for a boycott of the presidential elections across Russia. Last month, a protest was held by his campaign in Russia to urge people to boycott the elections. Navalny tweeted that he visited his dentist's office on Thursday, and after leaving, police officers approached him and arrested him. He also published a photo of himself in a police car on Instagram. Navalny later tweeted again, stating that he was issued a summons at the police station for allegedly violating public assembly laws. Leonid Volkov was also arrested at the airport while he was supposed to travel to Bashkortostan to meet with campaign supporters. Navalny has been arrested several times before on charges related to public gatherings and protests and has been imprisoned for short periods. He has warned that Vladimir Putin and his close circle are trying to imprison him and his allies. Navalny wrote on his personal blog: "If they are going to imprison me, they will schedule it so that I am in a cell during and after the elections." According to reports from Interfax and France Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; K.T./S.N. In this context, Russian authorities are attempting to shut down the main financial campaign supporting the critic of Putin. A court in Moscow ruled to shut down the financial resources of Navalny's campaign. At least 350 people have been arrested during protests against the Russian elections. Instagram has deleted posts from Putin's rival.