Russian police have detained 366 people.
Following the death of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in prison, over 300 of his supporters in 39 cities of the country were arrested.
Western media reported, citing a human rights group in Russia, that 366 supporters of the outspoken Alexei Navalny have been detained. Navalny was convicted in 2021 for financial support and incitement to extremism in Russia and was sent to prison. The Associated Press, citing OVD-Info, published a report on the arrest of Navalny’s supporters in Russia. He died in prison on February 16, 27 Bahman. The Russian human rights group announced that police arrested 366 people in 39 cities by yesterday afternoon, Monday. However, the number of detainees may change in the coming days as the investigation continues.
According to the Federal Prison Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, Navalny, a 47-year-old, felt ill while walking in the prison and almost immediately lost consciousness. The efforts of the doctors to save him were unsuccessful. The spokesperson of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, rejected Western accusations against the Russian government regarding Navalny’s death, stating that the Federal Prison Service is conducting an investigation and doctors need to determine the cause of this incident.
Dozens of opponents of the Russian government gathered in protest of Navalny’s death in front of the Moscow embassy in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It is reported that more than 200 people were detained in Saint Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, and the judicial authorities of this city issued prison sentences ranging from 1 to 14 days for 154 individuals.