A Moscow court has sent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to jail for 20 days for calling for an unsanctioned protest.
This means Navalny will not be able to lead a major rally he had planned in President Vladimir Putin’s hometown of Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
“They have already arrested me for a fully legal demonstration. It must be a sort of gift for Putin’s birthday that is all I can say,” he quipped.
Speaking to the media outside the court building, Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova described the court’s decision as outrageous and said they will appeal
After he announced his presidential bid last year, Navalny, arguably Russia’s most popular opposition politician, inspired a grassroots campaign in Russian regions to support his nomination.
Navalny’s campaign on Monday night called for rallies to protest his arrest in other Russian cities this Saturday.
