By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia charged former military journalist Ivan Safronov with state treason on Monday, his lawyer said, accusations that have sent a chill through Russia’s media community which has protested over what it says is his unfair treatment.Slideshow Security forces last week detained Safronov, who left journalism and in May became an adviser at Russia’s space agency, and accused him of passing military secrets to the Czech Republic.He faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty of a charge he denies.Police detained around a dozen journalists who gathered outside his...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia charged former military journalist Ivan Safronov with state treason on Monday, his lawyer said, accusations that have sent a chill through Russia’s media community which has protested over what it says is his unfair treatment.Slideshow Security forces last week detained Safronov, who left journalism and in May became an adviser at Russia’s space agency, and accused him of passing military secrets to the Czech Republic.He faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty of a charge he denies.Police detained around a dozen journalists who gathered outside his...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny went on hunger strike on Wednesday in an attempt to force the prison holding him outside Moscow to provide him with proper medical care for what he said was acute pain in his back and legs.The fate of Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, is in focus after he said last week that being woken up by a guard every hour during the night amounted to torture and that his appeals for medical treatment had been ignored.In a handwritten letter addressed to the governor of his prison which was posted to social...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny went on hunger strike on Wednesday in an attempt to force the prison holding him outside Moscow to provide him with proper medical care for what he said was acute pain in his back and legs.The fate of Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, is in focus after he said last week that being woken up by a guard every hour during the night amounted to torture and that his appeals for medical treatment had been ignored.In a handwritten letter addressed to the governor of his prison which was posted to social...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny went on hunger strike on Wednesday in an attempt to force the prison holding him outside Moscow to provide him with proper medical care for what he said was acute pain in his back and legs.The fate of Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, is in focus after he said last week that being woken up by a guard every hour during the night amounted to torture and that his appeals for medical treatment had been ignored.In a handwritten letter addressed to the governor of his prison which was posted to social...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny went on hunger strike on Wednesday in an attempt to force the prison holding him outside Moscow to provide him with proper medical care for what he said was acute pain in his back and legs.The fate of Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, is in focus after he said last week that being woken up by a guard every hour during the night amounted to torture and that his appeals for medical treatment had been ignored.In a handwritten letter addressed to the governor of his prison which was posted to social...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.Navalny had called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent he says was slipped to him by state security agents in August.The authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday’s demonstrations, saying they risked...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.Navalny had called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent he says was slipped to him by state security agents in August.The authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday’s demonstrations, saying they risked...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.Navalny had called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent he says was slipped to him by state security agents in August.The authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday’s demonstrations, saying they risked...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.Navalny had called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent he says was slipped to him by state security agents in August.The authorities had warned people to stay away from Saturday’s demonstrations, saying they risked...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) - Russia ordered jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny's network of regional offices to suspend activities on Monday as a court behind closed doors began to consider outlawing them and his Anti-Corruption Foundation.Moscow's state prosecutors want the court to ban the network as extremist, dealing a body blow to the activists led by President Vladimir Putin's most high-profile opponent, who last week ended a more than three-week hunger strike. If it is declared extremist, authorities will gain the legal...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) - Russia ordered jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny's network of regional offices to suspend activities on Monday as a court behind closed doors began to consider outlawing them and his Anti-Corruption Foundation.Moscow's state prosecutors want the court to ban the network as extremist, dealing a body blow to the activists led by President Vladimir Putin's most high-profile opponent, who last week ended a more than three-week hunger strike. If it is declared extremist, authorities will gain the legal...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 22 (Reuters) - A medical trade union leader and ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Thursday she and her group were asking the jailed opposition politician to call off his hunger strike."To continue (the strike) would be dangerous for his life and health," Anastasia Vasilyeva, head of the Doctors Alliance union, told Reuters. "We very much hope Alexei will end the hunger strike tomorrow."Russia's leading opposition politician began a hunger strike on March 31 to demand proper medical care for leg and back pain that...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 22 (Reuters) - A medical trade union leader and ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Thursday she and her group were asking the jailed opposition politician to call off his hunger strike."To continue (the strike) would be dangerous for his life and health," Anastasia Vasilyeva, head of the Doctors Alliance union, told Reuters. "We very much hope Alexei will end the hunger strike tomorrow."Russia's leading opposition politician began a hunger strike on March 31 to demand proper medical care for leg and back pain that...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday not to cross Russia’s “red lines”, saying Moscow would respond swiftly and harshly to any provocations and those responsible would regret it.At a time of acute crisis in ties with the United States and Europe, with Russian troops massed near Ukraine and opposition leader Alexei Navalny on hunger strike in jail, the Kremlin leader used his state of the nation speech to project a message of Russian strength and defiance in the face of outside threats."We want...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday not to cross Russia’s “red lines”, saying Moscow would respond swiftly and harshly to any provocations and those responsible would regret it.At a time of acute crisis in ties with the United States and Europe, with Russian troops massed near Ukraine and opposition leader Alexei Navalny on hunger strike in jail, the Kremlin leader used his state of the nation speech to project a message of Russian strength and defiance in the face of outside threats."We want...WW…

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny attends a hearing to consider an appeal against an earlier court decision to change his suspended sentence to a real prison term, in Moscow, Russia February 20, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 19 (Reuters) - An ally of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Monday she was braced for bad news on the health of the hunger-striking opposition politician when his lawyers see him again, after they were kept away over the weekend.Navalny, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir...…Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny attends a hearing to consider an appeal against an earlier court decision to change his suspended sentence to a real prison term, in Moscow, Russia February 20, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMOSCOW, April 19 (Reuters) - An ally of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Monday she was braced for bad news on the health of the hunger-striking opposition politician when his lawyers see him again, after they were kept away over the weekend.Navalny, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday they would stage a rolling protest outside his prison next week unless he is examined by a doctor of his choice and given what they regard as proper medicine.Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, has complained of acute back and leg pain and accused authorities of refusing him access to his chosen doctor and of declining to supply him with the right medicine for a condition he has joked darkly could deprive him of the use of both legs.Members of the Doctors Alliance trade union,...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) -Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday they would stage a rolling protest outside his prison next week unless he is examined by a doctor of his choice and given what they regard as proper medicine.Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, has complained of acute back and leg pain and accused authorities of refusing him access to his chosen doctor and of declining to supply him with the right medicine for a condition he has joked darkly could deprive him of the use of both legs.Members of the Doctors Alliance trade union,...WW…