Monday 29 January 2018

The Moscow resistance

Image result for Putin critic arrested on day of election protests

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, is detained by police officers in Moscow, Russia on Sunday.

Most Russians refuse to believe that their country is a genuine democracy, not with the realisation that the main candidate at the forthcoming presidential elections, Vladmir Putin, is guaranteed victory


It is hardly surprising then that there were protests across Russia on Sunday against the March election. The people say the election is rigged in President Vladimir Putin's favor already. The cowardly police in Moscow forcibly detained the opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This sparked the demonstrations on the streets of the capital.

Earlier on Sunday, video emerged of Russian authorities descending on Navalny's campaign headquarters with what his spokesperson characterized as power tools, questioning staff and reportedly seized equipment. The spokesperson said the police claimed they were investigating a "bomb threat."


Reports indicate over 200 protesters have been seized across Russia.

Navalny, no stranger to public dissent and arrests, called for protests last month after he was barred from running in March's presidential elections against Putin. Mr Putin will be seeking his fourth term with his victory all but a foregone conclusion. Navalny is actually telling Russians to boycott the election.

The Kremlin denies accusations of corruption and says the election will be fair, Reuters reports. Putin has held office, as either president or prime minister, since 2000. Winning a new term in March would extend his presidency until at least 2024.

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