Russia_Navalny_Protests_05280 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Russia_Navalny_Protests_89668 Police run to block the street at the penal detention centre Number 1 (known as Matrosskaya Tishina), where opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being held in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_88587 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny at penal detention centre Number 1 (known as Matrosskaya Tishina), where Navalny is being held in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_75647 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Russia_Navalny_Protests_43678 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Russia_Navalny_Protests_42064 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Russia_Navalny_Protests_28636 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Andrew Lubimov)
AP Photo/Andrew Lubimov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_89115 A man holds placard reading "There is no to your lie!" during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_42996 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Russia_Navalny_Protests_91805 Police officer detains a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_08943 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_71406 People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_15895 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_52155 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_27507 Police stand blocking enter to the street during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_53250 Police officers stand blocking enter to the central square in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)
AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_99723 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)
AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_10028 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)
AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_99509 Police officers detain a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, a region near the Russia-Mongolia border, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Anna Ogorodnik)
AP Photo/Anna Ogorodnik
Russia_Navalny_Protests_45902 Police detain a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. As part of a multipronged effort by the authorities to discourage Russians from attending Sunday's demonstrations, the Prosecutor General's office ordered the state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to block the calls for joining the protests on the internet. (AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov)
AP Photo/Aleksander Khitrov
RUSIA-NAVALNY_35991 Soldados de la Guardia Nacional rusa bloquean la entrada a la Plaza del Palacio, en Moscú, el sábado, 29 de enero del 2021, en vísperas de protestas para demandar la libertad del encarcelado líder opositor Alexander Navalny. (AP Foto/Dmitri Lovetsky)
AP Foto/Dmitri Lovetsky
Russia_Navalny_16833 FILE In this file photo taken on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Russian businessman Arkady Rotenberg awarded with the Hero of Labour medal stand next to President Vladimir Putin during an awards ceremony for those who led the construction of the 19 kilometres (12 miles) road and rail Crimean Bridge which is intended to facilitate links with Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, in Sevastopol, Crimea. Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the lavish Black Sea residence property featured in a video Alexei Navalny's team released. shortly after his arrest. On Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin associate and his sometimes judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property. (Alexander Nemenov, Pool Via AP, File)
Alexander Nemenov, Pool Via AP, File
Russia_Navalny_90932 FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2016, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, joins businessman and billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, during to a visit to the construction site of the Kerch Strait bridge in Kerch, Crimea. Putin has said that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the lavish Black Sea residence property featured in a video Alexei Navalny's team released. shortly after his arrest. On Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin associate and his sometimes judo sparring partner, claimed he owned the property. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin, File Pool Photo via AP, File)
Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin, File Pool Photo via AP, File
Russia_Navalny_Protests_01822 In this photo released by Yulia, wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on her Instagram account on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, Yulia Navalnaya takes part in a protest against the jailing of Navalny, in Moscow, Russia. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. (Yulia Navalny via AP)
Yulia Navalny via AP
Russia_Navalny_Protests_29302 Riot police block an area protecting against demonstrators during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_48052 Police officers detain people during a protest near the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Alexei Navalny is being held, in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_21602 Police officers detain a man during a protest near the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Alexei Navalny is being held, in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_98925 Police officers detain a man during a protest near the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Alexei Navalny is being held, in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Over 1,600 were detained by police, according to a monitoring group. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_51726 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_90366 Police stand blocking approaches to the street as protesters try to break through during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_33723 Police stand guard during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia's vast expanse to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_51726 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_57480 Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_72580 Police stand blocking approaches to the street during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_19109 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_22460 Police officers detain a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Khabarovsk, 6,100 kilometers (3,800 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Igor Volkov)
AP Photo/Igor Volkov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_87436 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_38443 Police install barriers to block a street before a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_05402 Police officers detain a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Khabarovsk, 6,100 kilometers (3,800 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Igor Volkov)
AP Photo/Igor Volkov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_23767 Police block a street before a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_32544 A woman holds posters as police stand blocking approaches to the square, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Volgograd, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Posters, left to right, read: "Today they have come after Navalny, tomorrow they will come after me, the day after tomorrow they will come after you", "Putin, you better go away yourself", "Russia will be free". Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Rogulin)
AP Photo/Dmitry Rogulin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_84210 Police stand blocking approaches to the square during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Volgograd, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Many chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin. The authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the most widespread show of discontent Russia has seen in years. (AP Photo/Dmitry Rogulin)
AP Photo/Dmitry Rogulin
RUSIA-NAVALNY_93492 Policías deteniendo a un hombre durante una protesta contra el encarcelamiento del líder Alexei Navalny en Moscú, Rusia, el domingo 31 de enero de 2021. Miles de personas salieron a la calle para reclamar la liberación del líder encarcelado Alexei Navalny, dentro de una oleada de protestas en todo el país que han remecido al Kremlin. Cientos de personas fueron detenidas por la policía. (AP Foto/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Foto/Alexander Zemlianichenko
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_85318 People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_43907 Police officers search a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_94340 Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_80510 Police officers detain a woman during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
APTOPIX_Russia_Navalny_Protests_90366 Police stand blocking approaches to the street as protesters try to break through during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_65935 A policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_60343 Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_09254 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_04384 People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_48767 Police block a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_20537 A policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_10011 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_71303 Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin)
AP Photo/Valentin Egorshin
Russia_Navalny_Protests_52663 People walk on a street during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds were detained by police. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia_Navalny_Protests_85732 Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_19955 Police detain protesters during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_16337 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
Russia_Navalny_Protests_05041 Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the wave of nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. Hundreds have been detained by police. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
MOSCOW (AP) — Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,100 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.
The massive protests came despite efforts by Russian authorities to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia had seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed cities across Russia’s 11 time zones on Sunday.
Navalny’s team quickly called another protest in Moscow for Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.
The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putin’s best-known critic, was arrested on Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.
The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.
“The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.
The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinken’s call as “crude interference in Russia’s internal affairs” and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country by backing the protests.
On Sunday, police detained more than 5,100 people in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4,000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on Jan. 23.
In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.
Navalny’s team initially called for Sunday’s protest to be held on Moscow’s Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny contends was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest shifted to other central squares and streets.
Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city center for hours, chanting “Putin, resign!” and “Putin, thief!” — a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalny’s team.
“I’m not afraid, because we are the majority,” said protester Leonid Martynov. “We mustn’t be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side.”
At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards.
Demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons. Officers broke them into smaller groups and detained scores, beating some with clubs and occasionally using tasers.
Over 1,600 people were detained in Moscow, including Navalny’s wife, Yulia, who was released after several hours pending a court hearing Monday on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned protest. “If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow,” she said on Instagram before turning out to protest.
Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the city’s detention facilities have run out of space. “The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters’ calls for freedom and change,” Natalia Zviagina, the group’s Moscow office head, said in a statement.
Several thousand people marched across Russia’s second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting “Down with the czar!” and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. Over 1,100 were arrested.
Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals.
“I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country,” said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. “I want them to live in a free country.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned “the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists” and urged Russia “to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.”
As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalny’s associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under a two-month house arrest Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekend’s protests.
Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.
The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.
Protests were fueled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalny’s team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.
Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putin’s time in office while poverty has remained widespread.
“All of us feel pinched financially, so people who take to the streets today feel angry,” said Vladimir Perminov who protested in Moscow. “The government’s rotation is necessary.”
Demonstrators in Moscow chanted “Aqua discotheque!” — a reference to one of the fancy amenities at the residence that also features a casino and a hookah lounge equipped for watching pole dances.
Putin says neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property. On Saturday, construction magnate Arkady Rotenberg, a longtime Putin confidant and his occasional judo sparring partner, claimed that he himself owned the property.
Navalny fell into a coma on Aug. 20 while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and the pilot diverted the plane so he could be treated in the city of Omsk. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent.
Russian authorities have refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming lack of evidence that he was poisoned.
Navalny was arrested immediately upon his return to Russia earlier this month and jailed for 30 days on the request of Russia’s prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.
On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Navalny’s appeal to be released, and the hearing Tuesday could turn his 3 1/2-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.
