Russian authorities detain dissident ex-mayor Yevgeny Roizman

Yevgeny Roizman, former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city, walks escorted by a police officer in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Roizman has been detained on charges that could land him behind bars as part of authorities’ efforts to muzzle dissent. Yevgeny Roizman is a sharp critic of the Kremlin and one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. (AP Photo/Vladimir Podoksyonov)

A former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city has been detained on charges that could land him behind bars as part of efforts to muzzle dissent.

Yevgeny Roizman, a critic of the Kremlin, is one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. He enjoyed broad popularity while serving as mayor of Yekaterinburg, a city of 1.5 million people in the Ural Mountains.