Russian opposition activist sent to jail amid crackdown on dissent

Andrei Pivovarov will be held for two months pending a probe (AP)

A Russian court has sent a prominent opposition activist to jail pending a probe, as authorities continue to crack down on dissent ahead of September’s parliamentary election.

In the southern city of Krasnodar, a court ordered Andrei Pivovarov, the head of the Open Russia movement that has just disbanded itself, to be held for two months pending an investigation, rejecting the defence’s appeal against his arrest.