Russian authorities detain prominent dissident Navalny

The Russian Prisons Authority confirmed that the officers had detained Navalny, Fierce Kremlin critic and President Vladimir Putin, according to the Russian Interfax news agency.

According to eyewitnesses, the police arrested the prominent opposition figure at the passport control area.

Navalny left Berlin on a flight operated by Russian airline Pobeda and was scheduled to land at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, back to Russia, despite Russian authorities confirming that he would be arrested if he returned to the country, according to Reuters.

Commenting on this, Navalny told reporters upon boarding the plane: "They arrest me?.. I'm innocent."

At Moscow airport, the police arrested a number of Navalny's allies, who went there to receive him, according to a source close to the Russian opposition.

Navalny accused the Russian president of trying to deter him from returning to the homeland with new legal restrictions, and also blamed the Kremlin for his poisoning, which the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.

(A)

ANHA