Russia: several relatives of the opponent Navalny detained

Several relatives of the imprisoned Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny were taken into custody on Thursday, January 28, before a court examining an appeal against his own arrest and a few days before new protests planned across the country.

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The opponent's brother, Oleg Navalny, and rising movement figure and important ally Lioubov Sobol were both detained for 48 hours for "

" due to the coronavirus epidemic, according to the Navalny team.

"

" wrote on Twitter the right-hand man of 'Alexei Navalny, Ivan Zhdanov.

Sobol's lawyer, Vladimir Voronin, denounced on Twitter “

”.

An activist from the protest group Pussy Riot, Maria Alekhina, was also detained for 48 hours for the same reason, her comrade Nadejda Tolokonnikova said on Instagram.

Anastassia Vassilieva, head of a doctors' union partly linked to Navalny, suffered the same fate, according to Zhdanov, as did other collaborators of the opponent.

A video released to media and social media showed Vassilieva playing the piano at her home as investigators search her apartment.

The detentions come as a court is due to examine on Thursday Alexey Navalny's appeal for his own arrest more than a week ago.

Defender of corruption and sworn enemy of the Kremlin, he is targeted by multiple legal proceedings.

The arrests also come the day after searches aimed at the homes of relatives of the opponent, including that of his wife Yulia, his spokesperson Kira Iarmych, sentenced last Friday to nine days in prison, or the premises of his organization. , the Anti-Corruption Fund.

According to Zhdanov, these raids came as part of an investigation for violation of "

" in force because of the coronavirus epidemic, after the demonstrations that took place across Russia on Saturday at the call of the 'opponent.

Navalny supporters called for new rallies on Sunday.