Russian police arrest protesters demanding Alexei Navalny’s release

Russian riot police block a square as people gather to protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Khabarovsk (Igor Volkov/AP)

Russian police are arresting protesters demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny at demonstrations in the country’s east, and larger unsanctioned rallies are expected later on Saturday in Moscow and other major cities.

Mr Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent and durable foe, was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from a severe nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.