MOSCOW, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian opposition and ordinary
Muscovites plan to take to the streets of Moscow Saturday to demand free and fair polls despite a police crackdown including the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
This week authorities jailed President Vladimir Putin’s top opponent for
30 days and launched a probe targeting his allies but activists said they
would not abandon plans to attend an unauthorised rally.
Authorities launched the clampdown as opposition politicians are fighting
to get on the ballot for a Moscow parliament election in September amid anger over worsening living standards and Putin’s falling approval ratings.
Last weekend, 22,000 people turned up for a Moscow protest, the largest
such demonstration in years, after authorities refused to allow opposition
candidates to run.
After the opposition threatened an even bigger rally on July 27 outside
the mayor’s offices, Navalny was jailed and several disqualified candidates
had their apartments and campaign offices searched in night-time raids.
On Friday Navalny allies said police had also searched their campaign
headquarters in the latest raids.
Independent candidates urged Russians to keep up the fight, saying the
country’s future trajectory was at stake.
Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook.
Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the
protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether.
Navalny was not allowed to run against Putin in a 2018 poll because of a
conviction in a fraud case which has been viewed as punishment for his
activism.
Navalny ally Lyubov Sobol launched a hunger strike in protest.
On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and
threatened to continue her strike at the offices of the Moscow election
commission.
Instead, she was carried out of the building — atop a couch. Officials
later said they had to take the couch out to get rid of bedbugs.
Local polls have been seen as the only legal opportunity for opposition
politicians to have a say in Russia’s political life.
While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoyed the support of the state, independent
candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot. — NNN-AGENCIES
