- The Washington Times - Wednesday, July 24, 2019

A leading Russian dissident was detained Wednesday while on a run in Moscow, days before he planned to lead a major opposition protest in the capital.

The Moscow Times reported that Alexei Navalny, who just completed a 10-day-sentence for attending an opposition rally earlier this month, could face another 30 days in jail for his unauthorized upcoming protest, according to his spokeswoman.

Mr. Navalny has been outspoken in his criticism of political corruption within the Russian government for more than 10 years. He has been especially pointed in his criticisms of Russian President Vladimir Putin, earning himself the title of “the man Vladimir Putin fears most” by The Wall Street Journal in 2012.

“I left home for a jog and to buy my wife flowers for her birthday,” Mr. Navalny said in a video on Instagram from the jail. “There was a small bus of riot police near my stairwell and I was detained.”

The Kremlin critic’s detention sentence comes in the wake of Saturday’s demonstrations, where 20,000 people, including Mr. Navalny, protested the disqualification of many opposition candidates from local elections in Moscow.

Mr. Navalny’s recent arrests make up nearly a dozen jail sentences and over 200 days served in the Russian government’s custody, according t to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

“People are right when they say that sport is not always good for your health,” Mr. Navalny joked in his video.

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