Navalny allies take to the streets despite crackdown, over 450 detained

Allies and supporters of Putin-critic Alexei Navalny took to streets across Russia and demanded the opposition leader's release from jail. The police detained over 450 protesters in Siberia and eastern Russiaon Sunday. Navalny allies had called for and planning new agitation in spite of authorities ramping up pressure on the opposition. Alexei Navalny's trial is set to start on February 2.

The first protests took place in the Far East, including the port city of Vladivostok where several dozen protesters gathered in the city's central square despite police closing it off ahead of the rally.

"The desire to live in a free country is stronger than the fear of being detained," 25-year-old student Andrei, who preferred not to give his last name, told AFP.

AFP footage from Vladivostok showed dozens of protesters escaping the police on the frozen waters of the Amur Bay and circle dancing.

Russian authorities have already warned people against participating against the protest rallies. The police have said that criminal charges will be slapped against the protesters.

According to independent monitors, at least 500people were detained in more than a dozen cities before the expected start of the rally in Moscow, which usually mobilises the largest crowds.

In an unprecedented move police in the capital announced the closure of seven metro stations and said movement of pedestrians would be limited in the city centre.

'Wake them up'

"The majority is on our side. Let's wake them up," Navalny said on Thursday in a message from Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina, a high-security detention centre.

Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets of over 100 cities across the country last Saturday to protest Putin's 20-year-rule.

More than 4,000 demonstrators were detained while authorities launched a series of criminal probes.

Authorities are also targeting online platforms demanding they delete posts with calls for rallies or face fines.

The country's media watchdog said Friday it summoned representatives of several social networks, including Facebook and TikTok, for failing to comply.

This week several Navalny associates, including lawyer Lyubov Sobol and his brother Oleg, have been placed under house arrest until late March pending charges for violating coronavirus restrictions by calling people to join protests.

Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh was detained late Saturday also over violating virus measures, the same day she was due to walk free after a nine-day jail term for violating protest laws.

The head of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, said Saturday the Investigative Committee informed him that a criminal case on fraud charges had been launched against Navalny.

(With AFP inputs)