Russia\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s special police unit has arrested and briefly detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny during a campaign rally in Moscow, a report says.\n<\/p>\n
Police detained Navalny as he was stepping off the stage at a campaign event late Sunday, for infringing \u00c5\u201cthe rights and legal interests of other citizens,\u201d an official told Interfax<\/i> news agency.\n<\/p>\n
The prominent lawyer and anti-corruption blogger was taken to an unknown location and released a short time later.\n<\/p>\n
The confinement followed a verbal warning by the Moscow electoral committee last week, who said Navalny violated various campaign protocols.\n<\/p>\n
Navalny faces accusations of illegally receiving foreign funding over his campaign bid as Moscow mayor.\n<\/p>\n
The Russian opposition leader said the allegations were an attempt to discredit him.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
However, a day after the sentencing, he was released by a higher court who said if Navalny remained in prison, it would \u00c5\u201climit his right to be elected.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Navalny is known for openly criticizing the government of President Vladimir Putin.\n<\/p>\n
He has been involved in organizing numerous anti-government protest rallies in the country in recent years.\n<\/p>\n
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