Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia joined tens of thousands of Russians at protests calling for the opposition leader's release on Wednes...
Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia joined tens of thousands of Russians at protests calling for the opposition leader's release on Wednesday, as police arrested more than 1,700 demonstrators.
Protests were organised by allies of the hunger-striking Kremlin critic over his failing health in jail.
His spokeswoman was jailed for 10 days, and another close ally detained, on Wednesday, the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivered a state-of-the-nation speech in which he told the West not to cross Russia's 'red lines' and pointedly made no mention of Navalny.
The US and France have warned Russia over consequences if Navalny is allowed to die in custody.
France's foreign minister told Russia on Thursday that the European Union would hold President Vladimir Putin and Russian authorities directly responsible if hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny died and it would impose new sanctions
Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia joined tens of thousands of Russians at protests calling for the opposition leader's release on Wednesday, as police arrested more than 1,700 demonstrators
Navalny's wife Yulia joined the rally in the capital, where demonstrators chanted her name. Protests were organised by allies of the hunger-striking Kremlin critic over his failing health jail
Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets all across the country in a rare show of defiance to long-standing President Vladimir Putin
Supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny attend an unsanctioned rally calling for his release in Tverskaya Street, Moscow
The protests came after doctors warned Navalny's health was deteriorating after he went on hunger strike three weeks ago, on March 31
There are concerns Navalny is close to kidney failure or cardiac arrest as a result of his hunger strike, but doctors have been refused access to assess him (pictured, protesters rally in Kaliningrad)
Tens of thousands of Russian protesters called for Navalny's release on Wednesday night. France's foreign minister also told Russia on Thursday that the European Union would hold President Vladimir Putin and Russian authorities directly responsible if hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny died while in custody
Police said 6,000 people protested illegally in Moscow, while Navalny's YouTube channel said turnout in the capital was up to 10 times higher
'This is one of the last gasps of a free Russia, as many are saying. We came out for Alexei ... against a war in Ukraine and the wild propaganda,' said Marina, a student at the Moscow protest.
OVD-Info, a group that monitors protests and detentions, said 1,782 people had been arrested, including 804 in St. Petersburg and 119 in the Urals city of Ufa.
Protesters in central Moscow chanted, 'Freedom to Navalny!' and 'Let the doctors in!'. Navalny's wife Yulia joined the rally in the capital, where demonstrators chanted her name.
The opposition had hoped the rallies would be the biggest in modern Russian history, and presented them as an attempt to save Navalny's life by persuading the authorities to allow his own doctors to treat him.
But turnout looked smaller than during protests earlier this year before Navalny was jailed for 2-1/2 years for parole violations related to what he said were politically motivated charges of embezzlement.
Police said 6,000 people protested illegally in Moscow, while Navalny's YouTube channel said turnout in the capital was up to 10 times higher.
Alexey Venediktov, a veteran journalist and head of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, said 10,000-15,000 people had rallied in Moscow and 7,000-9,000 in St Petersburg.
Navalny's wife Yulia attended Wednesday's protests, but turnout looked smaller than during demonstrationsearlier this year before Navalny was jailed for 2-1/2 years for parole violations related to what he said were politically motivated charges of embezzlement
A young man shouts his support for Navalny with hundreds of other demonstrators at a rally in Moscow on Wednesday
Protesters walked through the centre of Saint Petersburg during a demonstration in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Heavily-armoured police officer wielding batons drag two protesters from the crowd in St Petersburg on Wednesday
The opposition had hoped the rallies would be the biggest in modern Russian history, and presented them as an attempt to save Navalny's life by persuading the authorities to allow his own doctors to treat him
OVD-Info, a group that monitors protests and detentions, said 1,782 people had been arrested, including 804 in St. Petersburg and 119 in the Urals city of Ufa
Police stood guard as protesters turned on their phone flashlights as a show of defiance during a pro-Navalny rally in Moscow
Thousands of demonstrators flood through the streets of St Petersburg on Wednesday as another protest took place in Moscow
Thousands of protesters gathered in central Moscow called for opposition leader Alexei Navalny to receive proper medical care
Riot police were deployed to contain protests in cities across the country last night to quell the unrest (pictured, officers block a street during a rally in Moscow)
Riot police remove a protester from demonstrations against the detention of Navalny in St Petersburg last night
Thousands are seen in central Moscow last night to show solidarity with jailed opposition leader Navalny, despite the risk of arrest
A protester is seen being bundled into a police van during a rally in St Petersburg. Police detained over 1,700 protesters are events across the country
Navalny's allies said the protests were calling for the opposition leader, who survived a nerve agent attack last year, to receive medical treatment
A huge crowd turned out in support of Navalny in Moscow last night as the jailed opposition leader demands to see his own private doctor
Demonstrators on the streets of Moscow last night, some holding signs to denounce Putin, brave the elements and the risk of arrest to call for justice
State human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, said four doctors from outside the federal prison agency had visited Navalny on Tuesday and found no serious health problems, but protesters took to the streets in their thousands on Wednesday to demand the opposition leader receives proper medical treatment
A demonstrator bolts away from police officers during an unsanctioned demonstration in support of Navalny on Wednesday
The confrontation over Navalny's fate is a flashpoint in Moscow's dire relations with the West, already aggravated by economic sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and a Russian military buildup near Ukraine
The 44-year-old Navalny, who last year survived a nerve agent attack that Russian authorities denied carrying out, is thin and weak after starving himself for three weeks, and his allies say he risks kidney failure or cardiac arrest.
The state human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, said four doctors from outside the federal prison agency had visited Navalny on Tuesday and found no serious health problems.
Russia says he has been treated as would any other prisoner.
The confrontation over Navalny's fate is a flashpoint in Moscow's dire relations with the West, already aggravated by economic sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.
But, speaking to France 2 television, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he did not believe Russia wanted to launch a military operation in eastern Ukraine despite massing thousands of troops on the border.
Protesters held Russian flags as they came out in their tens of thousands to demonstrate in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny
Thousands of Navalny supporters hold an unsanctioned protest in Moscow on Wednesday, risking arrest from state police
Police detain a man during a protest in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg. At least 1,700 people were arrested at rallies across the country
People scuffled with police at a pro-Navalny demonstration in Saint Petersburg. Several people were arrested before the protests even began
A woman argues with a police officer using a megaphone during a protest in Ulan-Ude, near the Russian-Mongolian border, on Wednesday
A man holds a Russian flag during an opposition rally in Moscow. Police said 6,000 people protested illegally in Moscow, while Navalny's YouTube channel said turnout in the capital was up to 10 times higher
Russia says Navalny has been treated as would any other prisoner, but the opposition leader's doctors say differently, sparking the mass protests
Russian authorities warned protesters the demonstrations had not been authorised and warned against participating in them, but thousands still came out on Wednesday (pictured, a woman is arrested in Ulan-Ude)
Demonstrations took place across Russia on Wednesday, the same day as Putin's annual state-of-the-nation address (pictured, protesters in Omsk)
Russian opposition leader Navalny's team had called for protests across the country at 7pm, only hours after President Putin's annual state-of-the-nation speech (pictured, protesters in Lenina Square, Moscow)
UN human rights experts urged Moscow to let Navalny be medically evaluated abroad, though Russian officials claim there is nothing wrong with the opposition leader and that he should not get special treatment
Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and an ally, Lyubov Sobol, were detained near their Moscow homes hours before the rally in the capital (pictured) on Wednesday
A similar police presence was seen in St Petersberg, where heavily armed officers guarded Palace Square as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets
A man and a woman are led away by riot police in St Petersburg last night during pro-Navalny demonstrations
UN human rights experts urged Moscow to let Navalny be medically evaluated abroad.
They said they believed his life was in danger as he was being held in 'conditions that could amount to torture'.
Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and an ally, Lyubov Sobol, were detained near their Moscow homes hours before the rally in the capital on Wednesday.
European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs European Union summits, called their arrests 'deplorable'.
Yarmysh was later jailed for 10 days at a hearing for inciting people to protest. Sobol was released ahead of a hearing on Thursday.
Navalny aide Ruslan Shaveddinov tweeted: 'This is repression. This cannot be accepted. We need to fight this darkness.'
People attend a rally in support of jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in Moscow. Dozens of police vans were deployed to the centre of Moscow. The square where activists had hoped to gather was cordoned off with metal barriers
Opposition supporters attend a rally in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. His team called for demonstrations in more than 100 cities in Russia
A protester in St Petersberg holds a placard reading 'changes' at a rally in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Demonstrators march during a rally in support of jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in Saint Petersburg
Police detained at least 1,700 people at protests across Russia in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday, the OVD-Info protest monitoring group said (pictured, a women is detained at a demonstration in Ulan-Ude)
Thousands of Russians across the country took to the streets in support of the jailed Russian opposition leader, ignoring warnings from police to stay home (pictured, protesters in Vladivostok)
Dozens of police vans were deployed to the centre of Moscow. The square where activists had hoped to gather was cordoned off with metal barriers, as was Red Square.
Up to about 300 people protested in Vladivostok, some toting banners saying 'Freedom for political prisoners' and 'No war, repressions and torture!'
'Everyone realises the current authorities have nothing new to propose for the country. We need a new generation of politicians. I see Navalny as one of them,' said Ilya, a 19-year-old student in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
Elsewhere, riot police used force to make arrests. In Magadan, in Russia's far east, officers forced a man to the ground and pinned back his arms.
Navalny launched his hunger strike on March 31 over what he said was the refusal of the prison holding him to provide him with proper treatment for leg and back pain. The state prison service has said his condition is satisfactory.
Navalny's activist network faces mounting pressure. State prosecutors in Moscow began legal moves last week to ban his groups as extremist organisations.
US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the Russian government to provide Navalny with medical care and called for sanctions.
'This is barbarism playing out in real time, and we cannot be silent,' he said.
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