Russia detains allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny (AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)

Several allies and supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been detained in Moscow after protests last weekend demanding his release from prison drew tens of thousands to the streets in more than 100 Russian cities.

Mr Navalny’s top ally Lyubov Sobol, Anastasia Vasilyeva from the Alliance of Doctors union, and Maria Alyokhina from the Pussy Riot punk collective have been detained for 48 hours along with Mr Navalny’s brother Oleg.