Russian opposition figure detained ahead of rally

ANKARA

Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was detained on Friday in Moscow for his calls to attend "unauthorized" rallies.

Navalny, the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and chairman of Russia’s opposition Progress Party, posted on social media that police detained him at the entrance of his apartment before taking him to a police station.

"This, of course, is a new stage. Now I am being detained for trying to take part in the SANCTIONED rally," Navalny tweeted.

He was due to address a pre-election rally in the city of Nizhny Novgorod on Friday.

According to the official TASS news agency, the Interior Ministry’s Moscow department detained Navalny for repeated calls to take part in an "unauthorized" public event.

Navalny was released from jail on July 7 after completing a 25-day sentence for breaching rally rules.