Russians protest Navalny’s arrest - 3rd February 2021

Over 100 cities across Russia have seen another weekend of anti-government demonstrations. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in temperatures as low as minus 40. They were protesting against the Russian government and Alexei Navalny's arrest.

Navalny, a politician and anti-corruption campaigner, was arrested on 17th January. Police detained him when he arrived in Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from poisoning. In 2020, he fell ill after he came into contact with Novichok, a Russian made chemical weapon. It is believed that he was poisoned by Russian government agents.

The government has responded strongly to the weekend protests. On Sunday, over 5000 people were detained by police, and in Moscow 7 metro stations were closed to control the demonstrations.

Navalny's wife Yulia and brother Oleg were arrested last week. Police say they had broken coronavirus rules during the protests.

Navalny is currently being held in a Moscow detention centre, which has become a focus for the protestors. He faces years of possible jail time.