Russia jails protest leader
MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who organized a wave of nationwide protests against government corruption that rattled authorities, was jailed for 15 days by a Moscow court Monday for resisting police orders.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman on Monday chided opposition organizers for putting people’s lives at risk in the unauthorized protests and defended the actions of Russia’s helmeted riot police, which critics called heavy-handed.
The 40-year-old Navalny, Russia’s most popular, charismatic opposition leader, has been twice convicted on fraud and embezzlement charges that he has dismissed as politically motivated.
Navalny, who is currently serving a suspended sentence, also has recently announced his bid to run in Russia’s 2018 presidential election.
Russian police say about 500 people were arrested in the protests Sunday, but a human rights group published a list of detainees that has more than 1,000 names.
“The Kremlin respects people’s civic stance and their right to voice their position,” said Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.