Rally came after campaigner was given suspended term for fraud.

Vladimir Putin’s chief political foe has been convicted along with his brother in a fraud case widely seen as retribution by the Kremlin, setting off one of Russia’s boldest anti-government demonstrations in years.

Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is a leading foe of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has been found guilty of fraud and given a suspended sentence of three-and-a-half years.