According to opposition sources, more than 100 of his supporters have been arrested during protests on the birthday of the imprisoned Russian Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. According to the civil rights portal OVD-Info, 109 people were taken into custody in 23 cities on Sunday.

On the occasion of the 47th birthday of the imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, people in Russia and various other countries have demonstrated for his release. Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh published photos of Japan, Australia and Georgia, among others, on Twitter on Sunday. A rally was also announced in Berlin. In Russian cities, isolated people lined up with posters in public places – and were immediately arrested, according to civil rights activists.

Navalny said he was in a good mood, although of course he would rather be with his family than in a prison camp 260 kilometers northeast of Moscow. "But the way life works is that societal progress and a better future can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay the price for their right to their beliefs," he wrote. "And surely the day will come when speaking the truth and standing up for justice will be something commonplace and safe in Russia."

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the police have been cracking down on protesters. Navalny was arrested in January 2021 on his return from Germany to his homeland and convicted of violating probation and fraud. In August 2020, he had collapsed on an intra-Russian flight. At first he was treated in Russia, then transferred to the Charité hospital in Berlin. There, poisoning with a nerve agent was detected. The government in Moscow has denied allegations that Russian authorities tried to kill him.