On the eve of a day of demonstrations in more than 60 Russian cities in support of Alexei Navalny on Friday, January 22, relatives of the Russian opponent continue to be arrested. Ekaterina Vedernikova, coordinator of the opponent's headquarters in Vladivostok, and Elena Noskovets, collaborator of the Novosibirsk headquarters, were arrested by the Russian security services, according to Mr. Navalny's organization and the NGO OVD-Info.
Five other people close to Mr. Navalny were arrested on Thursday, some of whom are due to appear before the courts later that day. This is the case of the young Lyubov Sobol and Kira Yarmych, spokesperson for the Russian opposition, accused of having called for "illegal" rallies.
Ms. Yarmych's lawyer, Veronika Poliakova, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that her client was facing ten days in detention. Lyubov Sobol faces 30 days in prison, but could be sentenced, as in previous arrests, to a simple fine because she is the mother of a young child. Among the other people arrested on Thursday: Anastasia Pantchenko, head of the organization in Krasnodar; Vladlen Los, a Belarusian lawyer - who is obliged to leave the territory; Georgy Albourov, a journalist who participates in anti-corruption investigations.