Russian police detained more than 1,700 people across the country as protesters gathered on April 21 to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. The prominent Kremlin critic is reported to be seriously ill as he enters the third week of a hunger strike, and prison authorities have rejected demands for him to be treated by independent doctors.
Thousands Attend Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia; More Than 1,700 Detained
- By RFE/RL
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A demonstrator waves a Russian flag during a rally in Moscow in support of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny in Moscow on April 21.
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Protesters in Moscow march holding signs reading "Freedom for Navalny!" Navalny went on a hunger strike to demand doctors treat him for severe pain in his back and legs, and his health is reportedly deteriorating.
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Riot police block traffic during the demonstration in Moscow. Police said some 6,000 people attended the protest in the capital, but organizers said the number was much higher.
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Demonstrators in Moscow applaud Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife.
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Protesters hold up their phones in Moscow.
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Demonstrators clash with police in St. Petersburg, where more than 800 participants were reported to be detained.
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A protester is hauled away by St. Petersburg police.
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A demonstrator in St. Petersburg holds a sign reading: "My Russia Is In Prison."
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A protester runs from the police in St. Petersburg.
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St. Petersburg security forces load detainees into a police van. More than 10,000 people across Russia have been detained at protests in support of Navalny since January.
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Demonstrators in Kazan, the capital of the republic of Tatarstan, hand out flowers and shout, "We come in peace."
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An opposition supporter asks police to let him pass through the cordon in the center of Kazan.
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Demonstrators in Kazan. Other protests took place in dozens of cities.
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Speaking alongside her daughter in Kazan, a woman told fellow protesters: "We are tired of seeing that anyone can be beaten up or imprisoned for their words. I'm a Christian. I believe God will protect us. I'm not afraid."
