MOSCOW – Russian police have issued a strong warning against participating in protests planned for Sunday to call for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most prominent foe.
The warning comes amid detentions of Navalny associates and opposition journalists and a police plan to restrict movement in the center of Moscow on Sunday.
Navalny was arrested on Jan. 17 after flying back to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning.
His detention sparked nationwide protests one week ago in about 100 cities; nearly 4,000 people were reported arrested. The next demonstration in Moscow is planned for Lubyanka Square.