The opposition’s candidate for Moscow’s mayor is surging in the polls, despite a recent conviction for fraud. Though he is still a long shot to win Moscow’s mayoral race, he is polling higher now that the debates have started, especially since Moscow’s incumbent, Sergei Sobyanin, has refused to take place in the debates.
Navalny was arrested by police over the weekend.
The following is a translation from two different Gazeta news stories:
http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2013/08/25/n_3135757.shtml
http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2013/08/25/n_3135713.shtml
– Ed.
About 10 people were detained by police during a voters’ meeting with Moscow mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny in the Sokolniki district of the capital, RIA Novosti reported, citing a statement from the Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry for Moscow.
“About 10 people were taken to the police station, including for petty hooliganism and public intoxication,” said Moscow police.
Several organizers of Navalny’s campaign rally were questioned regarding the placement of the stage, which “obstructed the normal movement of pedestrians,” and about the unauthorized use of electrical equipment and recording devices.
Later, police released Navalny. Interfax reported that “Navalny was invited for a chat at the police department due to violations in conducting a mass event,” said a source. The violations led “to the infringement of rights and lawful interests of other citizens.”
Earlier Navalny’s press secretary Anna Veduta reported on Twitter that police had detained Navalny in Sokolniki after his meeting had ended. Veduta said the candidate was detained by OMON [riot police] on the stage “at the end of a meeting with voters numbering about 5,000-7,000 people.” Navalny was put into a van and taken to the police station, and released the same afternoon.
[Later, Navalny confirmed on his Twitter timeline that he and all the others were released and had gone home.]