Russiaâ„¢s special police unit has arrested and briefly detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny during a campaign rally in Moscow, a report says.
Police detained Navalny as he was stepping off the stage at a campaign event late Sunday, for infringing Å“the rights and legal interests of other citizens,” an official told Interfax news agency.
The prominent lawyer and anti-corruption blogger was taken to an unknown location and released a short time later.
The confinement followed a verbal warning by the Moscow electoral committee last week, who said Navalny violated various campaign protocols.
Navalny faces accusations of illegally receiving foreign funding over his campaign bid as Moscow mayor.
The Russian opposition leader said the allegations were an attempt to discredit him.
On July 18, Navalny was sentenced to five years in prison by a Kirov court for embezzling 16 million rubles (USD 500,000) worth of timber from the Kirovles state timber company and triggering anti-government protests in 2011 and 2012.
However, a day after the sentencing, he was released by a higher court who said if Navalny remained in prison, it would Å“limit his right to be elected.”
Navalny is known for openly criticizing the government of President Vladimir Putin.
He has been involved in organizing numerous anti-government protest rallies in the country in recent years.
GMA/SS
Republished from: Press TV