Russian protest leader Navalny out of jail, faces two charges

The Associated Press
Moscow, Russia.-  Alexei Navalny, the leader of protests against President Vladimir Putin that resulted in the arrests of more than 1,500 demonstrators across Russia including himself, said Sunday that the actions were worthwhile even though he faces another possible stretch in jail.

Navalny was released from detention Sunday, a day after he was arrested in Moscow’s Pushkin Square along with hundreds of other demonstrators protesting Putin’s upcoming inauguration today for a new term.

He said he has been charged with organizing an unauthorized meeting and of resisting police. Each of those charges can carry a jail sentence of 15 days. He is to appear in court on the charges on Friday.

OVD-Info, an organization that monitors Russian political arrests, said at least 1,575 people were arrested in demonstrations in 26 cities across Russia on Saturday protesting Putin’s upcoming inauguration Monday for a new term.

It was not clear Sunday how many remained in custody, although the presidential human rights council said about 80 percent of 658 detainees in Moscow had been released.

Amnesty International called the arrests and beatings of some Russian protesters “outrageous.” Despite the arrests, Navalny termed the protests “a great success.” “Putin is coming into a fifth term and wants to demonstrate to all that ‘I am the owner of this country and I will eat everything here; those who do not support me sit quietly and do not dare to make a squeak’,” Navalny said on his website.