Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny was released today after spending 15 days in jail for disobeying police.
Navalny was arrested on March 26 after organizing a nationwide anti-corruption protest. He was sentenced to 15 days in prison after being found guilty of disobeying police orders during the Moscow demonstration.
Tens of thousands of people across Russia took part in protests against government corruption, namely in reaction to corruption allegations against Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
An estimated 1,800 people were detained during the protests across Russia, many of which took place without permission from local authorities. Eleven people working for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, have also been jailed for live streaming the demonstrations, which were largely ignored by state-run media.
Navalny, who plans to run in Russia's presidential elections in 2018, accused Medvedev of channeling bribes through non-profit organizations ran by his close friends and former classmates. The Anti-Corruption Foundation carried out the investigation linking Medvedev to vast estates in Russia and abroad, as well as several yachts.
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