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Opposition figure Navalny detained in Moscow

Alexei Navalny has been detained in Moscow for calls to attend unauthorized rallies

Alexei Navalny Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

Alexei Navalny

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russian opposition figure and blogger Alexei Navalny has been detained by police in Moscow.

Navalny has been detained in Moscow for calls to attend unauthorized rallies, the Interior Ministry's press service told TASS on Friday.

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"Today the Interior Ministry’s Moscow department detained Alexei Navalny for repeated calls to take part in an unauthorized public event," the press service said.

Navalny was taken to a police station, the spokesperson said. A law enforcement source told TASS that Navalny was allowed to hold rallies in nine cities across Russia. "Despite this, he calls on his supporters to attend unauthorized rallies."

Navalny wrote on his Instagram page that he had been detained near his home and was being taken to the Danylovsky department of the Interior Ministry. Police gave no reason for the detention, he said.

Navalny was held near his home and was being taken to the Danylovsky department of the Interior Ministry, he wrote on his Instagram page.

"I left home to go to a station - they detained me in the entrance. Like in a movie, a car arrived and police in it," he said.

Navalny also wrote on Twitter: "They detained me, they are convoying me, and no one knows anything. I ask them why they detain me? We will find it out (police say)."

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