After arresting Alexei Navalny earlier this week immediately following his release from a hospital in Berlin, where he was recovering after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok, Russian police have detained his close aides. Navalny’s supporters have flooded social media with calls to protest against his and his aides’ detainment. Moscow responded to the outrage, stating that any unauthorized demonstrations will be suppressed.
Navalny claims that the case Moscow has against him has been fabricated and is politically motivated to silence his dissent. He was taken into custody for violating parole conditions. Among those close to him who were also detained include one of his lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh. Ms. Sobol was later released as she has a young child, however, Yarmysh remains in prison.
Read More: Russia detains Navalny aides as protests go viral
