Thousands of people are protesting in Russia calling for Vladimir Putin's resignation following the arrest of a regional governor since last week.

Demonstrations have been taking place in towns across the Khabarovsk Krai, a region that stretches from the frontier with China to the artic along the pacific ocean.

The outburst against Putin is coming from a region that's 4,000 miles away from the capital Moscow.

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&nbsp;Khabarovsk Krai's Governor Sergei Furgal was detained and taken to Moscow. He is accused of killing several businessmen nearly 15 years ago. The governor denies all charges. If found guilty, he might spend the rest of his life in prison.&nbsp;

Sergei Furgal is a popular regional leader. He is one of Russia's few provincial leaders, who is not associated with the political forces in kremlin. In 2018, Furgal defeated Putin's United Russia Party candidate to become the governor. This was seen as Putin losing his hold in the far-reaching areas of Russia. The protesters say t is a political witch-hunt and that Furgal's popularity in the region has made Putin nervous. Close to 40,000 people spilt out on to the streets of&nbsp;Khabarovsk Krai.

One protester fears Putin will now imprison anybody who could be a threat. Interestingly, the protests aren't just taking place in some remote corner of Russia. There are protests erupting in Moscow too. The capital's streets rocked under the march of protesters.

Former journalist Ivan Safronov has been arrested and charged with treason. In May, he quit his job as a journalist and joined as an adviser at Russia's space agency. He has been accused of passing on secrets to the Czech Republic. If found guilty,&nbsp;he faces 20 years in jail. The former scribe has denied the allegation.

He shared an abrasive relationship with the authorities as a journalist. In 2019,&nbsp;court proceedings were held over one of his articles. Safronov had written about Russia's deliveries of Sukhoi-35 fighter aircraft to Egypt.&nbsp; The articles were ordered to be taken down. The arrest of a former journalist for treason sent shock waves in the media circles of Moscow. More than a dozen journalists protested against Safronov's arrest. They were quickly detained. The journalists say the case is shrouded in secrecy.

The protesters are demanding the officials to declassify the case and&nbsp;spell out the allegations against Safronov. A petition has been signed by 55,000 people so far. Safronov's lawyer says the secrecy violates a basic right...

Political persecution in a remote province and silencing of a journalist who may know too much. Now, Putin is facing the heat even before he could get comfortable in the throne he has made his for life.

Thousands of people are protesting in Russia calling for Vladimir Putin's resignation following the arrest of a regional governor since last week. Demonstrations have been taking place in towns across the Khabarovsk Krai, a region that stretches from the frontier with China to the artic along the pacific ocean.

Thousands of people are protesting in Russia calling for Vladimir Putin's resignation following the arrest of a regional governor since last week. Demonstrations have been taking place in towns across the Khabarovsk Krai, a region that stretches from the frontier with China to the artic along the pacific ocean. The outburst against Putin is coming from a region that's 4,000 miles away from the capital Moscow. Khabarovsk Krai's Governor Sergei Furgal was detained and taken to Moscow. He is accused of killing several businessmen nearly 15 years ago. The governor denies all charges. If found guilty, he might spend the rest of his life in prison. Sergei Furgal is a popular regional leader. He is one of Russia's few provincial leaders, who is not associated with the political forces in kremlin. In 2018, Furgal defeated Putin's United Russia Party candidate to become the governor. This was seen as Putin losing his hold in the far-reaching areas of Russia. The protesters say t is a political witch-hunt and that Furgal's popularity in the region has made Putin nervous. Close to 40,000 people spilt out on to the streets of Khabarovsk Krai. One protester fears Putin will now imprison anybody who could be a threat. Interestingly, the protests aren't just taking place in some remote corner of Russia. There are protests erupting in Moscow too. The capital's streets rocked under the march of protesters. Former journalist Ivan Safronov has been arrested and charged with treason. In May, he quit his job as a journalist and joined as an adviser at Russia's space agency. He has been accused of passing on secrets to the Czech Republic. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in jail. The former scribe has denied the allegation. He shared an abrasive relationship with the authorities as a journalist. In 2019, court proceedings were held over one of his articles. Safronov had written about Russia's deliveries of Sukhoi-35 fighter aircraft to Egypt. The articles were ordered to be taken down. The arrest of a former journalist for treason sent shock waves in the media circles of Moscow. More than a dozen journalists protested against Safronov's arrest. They were quickly detained. The journalists say the case is shrouded in secrecy. The protesters are demanding the officials to declassify the case and spell out the allegations against Safronov. A petition has been signed by 55,000 people so far. Safronov's lawyer says the secrecy violates a basic right... Political persecution in a remote province and silencing of a journalist who may know too much. Now, Putin is facing the heat even before he could get comfortable in the throne he has made his for life.

Putin feeling the heat amid protest over two arrests

Russians began voting on Thursday in a poll that could enable President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 if re-elected, Reuters reported. If, as expected, the constitutional changes are approved, Putin will be eligible to run for two more back-to-back six-year terms after his current one expires in 2024, the report added.

Russians began voting on Thursday in a poll that could enable President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 if re-elected, Reuters reported. If, as expected, the constitutional changes are approved, Putin will be eligible to run for two more back-to-back six-year terms after his current one expires in 2024, the report added. Putin says he has yet to decide whether to run. Critics called the process a constitutional coup while ome voters said Putin had earlier suggested this term would be his last as president and accused him of a U-turn. Also read: Putin's opponents divided over Russian vote that could extend his rule "This man (Putin) is changing his mind very quickly. First he was saying one thing and then another. Even my family have stopped supporting him, especially after the quarantine. People have just lost faith in the man,” said Maria, a Moscow student. Others said Putin had earned the right to run again. "In many countries, for example in Germany, there is no legal limit on the number of presidential terms," said Konstantin Korzinin, a state employee in Moscow. "The most important thing for a leader is that they govern well. I think the guarantor of our constitution is doing a good job." The vote is on a large bundle of constitutional changes, already approved by parliament and the Constitutional Court, which the Kremlin says are needed to strengthen the role of parliament, improve social policy, and lock in stability. × With state media supporting Putin, and the president facing no immediate threat from a divided opposition, the vote is expected to go his way despite rising unemployment and the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The central bank forecasts a 4%-6% GDP drop this year, while the International Monetary Fund projects a 6.6% decline. State pollster VTsIOM has forecast that 67% to 71% of voters will endorse the changes. Pictures on social media showed a polling station set up in the back of a car in Vladivostok and people voting in a bus in the town of Tver, while a journalist for TV Rain, which often criticises the Kremlin, filmed himself voting once at a polling station and again electronically. Opposition politician Alexei Navalny has called for a boycott. "Voting on the amendments is illegal, pointless and dangerous for your health," Navalny wrote before the vote. (With inputs from Reuters)

Marathon vote on extending Putin's rule begins amid coronavirus crisis

President Vladimir Putin postponed a vote on constitutional reforms and urged Russians to stay home to contain the coronavirus on Wednesday, but did not impose the kind of strong measures taken in other countries.

In a rare televised address to the nation, Putin said Russia could not isolate itself from the spreading pandemic but focused mainly on support for the struggling economy.

"The health, life and safety of people is our absolute priority," Putin said.

The vote on constitutional reforms, which had been due to take place on April 22, "must be postponed to a later date", he said, without specifying when.

The reforms, proposed by the president and approved by lawmakers over the last few months, would reset presidential term limits and potentially allow Putin, in power for 20 years, to stay in office until 2036.

Critics have denounced the project as a way for Putin to remain "president for life".

He also took the unusual step of declaring March 28 to April 5 a non-working week in order to slow the spread of the virus, urging Russians to stay at home.

"It is extremely important now to prevent the threat of the disease spreading rapidly," he said.

'Can affect everyone'

"This can affect everyone. What is happening today in many Western countries -- in Europe and across the ocean -- can become our nearest future."

He unveiled a series of measures to support Russians and boost the economy, including breaks on consumer loans and mortgage payments, support for small- and medium-sized businesses and early payouts of social benefits.

The coronavirus and a dizzying fall in oil prices have sparked a two-pronged crisis for the Russian economy, with the ruble falling to its lowest levels since early 2016.&nbsp;

This presents a huge challenge to Putin's promises to boost growth and raise living standards.

The Kremlin announced Putin's address as Russia on Wednesday recorded its biggest spike in confirmed coronavirus infections so far, with 163 new cases for a total of 658 across the country.&nbsp;

One person who was infected has died but officials are not linking the death to the virus.

Concern has risen as the number of cases steadily grows.&nbsp;

Putin met with top officials to discuss containment measures on Tuesday, putting on a yellow hazmat suit as he visited a major hospital treating coronavirus patients.&nbsp;

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who heads a coronavirus task force, told Putin that the actual number of cases was probably "significantly" higher than official figures.

Russia previously imposed 14-day quarantines on people arriving from abroad, closed schools and told elderly residents in Moscow, where most of the cases are concentrated, to self-isolate.

It halted cultural and sports events and closed fitness clubs, cinemas and night clubs, although restaurants and cafes were allowed to remain open.

Authorities have repeatedly denied plans to impose lockdowns like those seen in China, Italy, Spain, France or Britain, but the warnings from officials on Tuesday were stark.&nbsp;

"The problem is that the volume of testing is very low and no one has a clear picture" of the situation in Russia and the world, Sobyanin told Putin.

'Italian' scenario

Denis Protsenko, head doctor of Moscow's new hospital treating coronavirus patients, told Putin that Russia needed to be ready for an "Italian" scenario, referring to what is now the hardest-hit country in the world in terms of deaths.

"If there is a big spike, and Moscow is headed there, our hospital is ready to transform," he said.

Russian lawmakers have proposed imposing severe punishments -- including up to seven years in prison -- for people breaking coronavirus quarantine rules.&nbsp;

Apart from traditional New Year's greetings, Putin rarely addresses the public on television. The last time was over an unpopular pension reform in August 2018.

Putin did not say whether he will postpone plans for a massive military parade on May 9 to mark 75 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Dozens of foreign leaders have been invited to take part.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday the postponement of the celebration had been discussed but no decision was yet made.

President Vladimir Putin postponed a vote on constitutional reforms and urged Russians to stay home to contain the coronavirus on Wednesday, but did not impose the kind of strong measures taken in other countries.

President Vladimir Putin postponed a vote on constitutional reforms and urged Russians to stay home to contain the coronavirus on Wednesday, but did not impose the kind of strong measures taken in other countries. In a rare televised address to the nation, Putin said Russia could not isolate itself from the spreading pandemic but focused mainly on support for the struggling economy. "The health, life and safety of people is our absolute priority," Putin said. The vote on constitutional reforms, which had been due to take place on April 22, "must be postponed to a later date", he said, without specifying when. The reforms, proposed by the president and approved by lawmakers over the last few months, would reset presidential term limits and potentially allow Putin, in power for 20 years, to stay in office until 2036. Critics have denounced the project as a way for Putin to remain "president for life". He also took the unusual step of declaring March 28 to April 5 a non-working week in order to slow the spread of the virus, urging Russians to stay at home. "It is extremely important now to prevent the threat of the disease spreading rapidly," he said. 'Can affect everyone' "This can affect everyone. What is happening today in many Western countries -- in Europe and across the ocean -- can become our nearest future." He unveiled a series of measures to support Russians and boost the economy, including breaks on consumer loans and mortgage payments, support for small- and medium-sized businesses and early payouts of social benefits. The coronavirus and a dizzying fall in oil prices have sparked a two-pronged crisis for the Russian economy, with the ruble falling to its lowest levels since early 2016. This presents a huge challenge to Putin's promises to boost growth and raise living standards. The Kremlin announced Putin's address as Russia on Wednesday recorded its biggest spike in confirmed coronavirus infections so far, with 163 new cases for a total of 658 across the country. One person who was infected has died but officials are not linking the death to the virus. Concern has risen as the number of cases steadily grows. Putin met with top officials to discuss containment measures on Tuesday, putting on a yellow hazmat suit as he visited a major hospital treating coronavirus patients. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who heads a coronavirus task force, told Putin that the actual number of cases was probably "significantly" higher than official figures. Russia previously imposed 14-day quarantines on people arriving from abroad, closed schools and told elderly residents in Moscow, where most of the cases are concentrated, to self-isolate. It halted cultural and sports events and closed fitness clubs, cinemas and night clubs, although restaurants and cafes were allowed to remain open. Authorities have repeatedly denied plans to impose lockdowns like those seen in China, Italy, Spain, France or Britain, but the warnings from officials on Tuesday were stark. "The problem is that the volume of testing is very low and no one has a clear picture" of the situation in Russia and the world, Sobyanin told Putin. 'Italian' scenario Denis Protsenko, head doctor of Moscow's new hospital treating coronavirus patients, told Putin that Russia needed to be ready for an "Italian" scenario, referring to what is now the hardest-hit country in the world in terms of deaths. "If there is a big spike, and Moscow is headed there, our hospital is ready to transform," he said. Russian lawmakers have proposed imposing severe punishments -- including up to seven years in prison -- for people breaking coronavirus quarantine rules. Apart from traditional New Year's greetings, Putin rarely addresses the public on television. The last time was over an unpopular pension reform in August 2018. Putin did not say whether he will postpone plans for a massive military parade on May 9 to mark 75 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Dozens of foreign leaders have been invited to take part. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday the postponement of the celebration had been discussed but no decision was yet made.

Putin delays reforms vote, holds back on tough virus measures