Moscow (AFP)
The Russian opposition began to gather in Moscow on Saturday to protest against "political repression", the latest action of a major protest movement shaking the capital a week before controversial local elections.
Demonstrations have been held almost every weekend in Moscow since mid-July to protest against the ouster of opposition candidates from the Moscow Parliament election scheduled for 8 September. Unauthorized, most actions were severely suppressed by the police.
Saturday's march is being held at the call of the main opponent of the Kremlin, Alexei Navalny, recently released from prison. The authorities called on the participants to abandon the rally on pain of "taking responsibility".
The protest movement, the largest since Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012, has resulted in nearly 2,700 arrests and the opening of several trials for "massive unrest" and "violence against order. "
Most opposition leaders have chained short prison sentences for their calls to protest, such as Ilia Iachine, imprisoned for the fifth time in a row on Wednesday.
Another opposition voice, young lawyer Lioubov Sobol, was sprayed with mud on Thursday near her home.
Mr Navalny's organization, the Anti-Corruption Fund, is targeted by a "money laundering" investigation.
The protest movement began after the rejection, officially for formal flaws, of the registration of about 60 independent candidates for election to the Moscow Parliament. In charge of validating the huge budget of the capital, this body is currently composed of loyal pro-Kremlin mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
This election and the other regional and local elections that will be held at the same time will be difficult for the candidates of power, in a context of social discontent and economic stagnation.
© 2019 AFP