Putin foe held as offices are raided

Russian investigators have raided the office of anti-corruption campaigner and leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny after he was taken for questioning by a dozen policemen who intercepted him outside his Moscow apartment building.

The interrogation and raid appeared aimed at increasing the pressure on Navalny, a vehement foe of President Vladimir Putin. He has refused to stay silent despite a conviction that has kept him under house arrest and sent his brother to prison.

The Kremlin has been reluctant to jail Navalny to avoid turning him into a martyr, but has seemed determined to prevent him from playing any role in stirring up discontent. The raid suggested renewed efforts to shut down his corruption-fighting foundation and stop its exposure of official abuses. A court in December convicted Navalny of fraud and gave him a suspended sentence, but said until his appeals were exhausted he must remain under house arrest.