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The opposition rally begins in the Russian capital. An event under pressure, with a strong police presence, a week after the crackdown on an opposition demonstration, which saw the arrest of 1,400 people. Alexei Navalny, the number one opponent of Vladimir Putin, is meanwhile in jail.
From our correspondent in Moscow , Daniel Vallot
It is a demonstration without leader or almost. Most opposition leaders, whether or not they were candidates in the September elections, were in fact incarcerated and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 30 days. Everyone expects here, like last week, to have many arrests.
Moreover, a first arrest occurred, according to the site MediaZona: that of Lioubov Sobol, the only opposition figure who was still at liberty. She was apprehended while she wanted to go to the demonstration. The 31-year-old lawyer, who has been on hunger strike since her candidacy was rejected, is close to Alexei Navalny .
Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 30 days in prison even before Saturday's forbidden demonstration. Other opposition figures were sentenced after the demonstration. Among them are Dmitri Gudkov, Ilya Yachine , and Ivan Jdanov. Last week there were nearly 1,400 arrests and this week the authorities have warned against this new banned demonstration.
Indicted for " massive unrest "
The police and judicial pressure is not only about the leaders of the protest: it is several dozen people who remained in prison after the mass arrests of last Saturday. Three of them are being prosecuted for " violence " against the police, which could be up to five years in prison. And five others are indicted for organization of " massive disorders ": the penalty is even heavier, up to 15 years of detention.
Despite the convictions, despite the arrests, the opposition maintained its call to protest. But she changed the mode of operation. There will be a meeting point like last week in front of the Moscow City Hall, but several throughout what is called here " the ring of the boulevards ". This could complicate the task of police forces.
So there is a lot of tension on Trubnaya Square, on the path that was defined by the opposition. And two questions arise when the mobilization begins: will the repression be as severe as it was a week ago? Will the mobilization of opposition supporters be so important? From the answer to these two questions could depend on the continuation of the movement in the coming weeks.
► See also: Elections in Moscow: Opposition candidates declared invalid