News
Russian courts jail dozens of Putin’s critic Navalny mourners
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Court.jpg)
By Francesca Hangeior
Russian courts have sentenced dozens of people detained at events commemorating Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to short prison sentences, official court announcements showed, with 154 sentenced in Saint Petersburg alone.
Details of rulings published by the city’s court service on Saturday and Sunday showed 154 people had been given jail time of up to 14 days for violating Russia’s strict anti-protest laws.
Rights groups and independent media outlets reported a handful of similar sentences in other cities across the country.
The 47-year-old Kremlin critic died on Friday at the Arctic prison colony where he was being held on charges widely seen as retribution for his campaigning against President Vladimir Putin.
Police over the weekend arrested hundreds of Russians in dozens of cities who came to lay flowers and light candles in his honour at memorials to victims of Stalin-era repressions.
Anti-Kremlin demonstrations or public shows of opposition to the regime are effectively illegal in Russia under strict military censorship rules and laws against unapproved rallies.
Police and men in plain clothes patrolled sites in dozens of Russian cities where people had gathered to commemorate Navalny over the weekend.
There were several reports of them removing the pop-up memorials overnight, and footage showed hooded men scooping up flowers into bin bags on a bridge next to the Kremlin where another leading Putin critic, Boris Nemtsov, was killed in 2015.
The news of Navalny’s death, which came just a month before Putin is set to secure another six-year term in the Kremlin, triggered an outpouring of grief and anger among his supporters at home and abroad.
Russian authorities had still not given Navalny’s mother or lawyers access to his body on Sunday, enraging his backers who had earlier called the Russian state “killers” trying to “cover their tracks.”
Putin has not commented on the death of his most vocal critic and the Kremlin has not said anything since Friday evening when it criticised Western leaders for saying they held Putin responsible.
Tributes to Navalny, who narrowly survived a poisoning attack in 2020 only to fly back to Russia months later knowing he would be jailed, continued to pour in Sunday.
“Alexei Navalny wanted one very simple thing: for his beloved Russia to be just a normal country,” Leonid Volkov, his chief of staff and one of his closest aides wrote on the X social media site.
“And for this Vladimir Putin killed him. Poisoned, imprisoned, tortured and killed him.”
News
Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Kayode-Egbetokun1.jpg)
The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
News
Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240726_155935-scaled.jpg)
News
Reps Applaud FCT Minister, Wike On AICL Improved Revenue, Infrastructure
![](https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG-20240726-WA0005.jpg)
-
News23 hours ago
Iwuanyanwu was a Heavyweight in all ramifications-Abaribe
-
News23 hours ago
Tinubu, Southern Govs Mourn Iwuanyanwu
-
News22 hours ago
Protest: President Tinubu In Closed-door Meeting With Traditional Rulers (Video)
-
News22 hours ago
Sokoto Governor, Aliyu’s Wife Holds Lavish Birthday As Guests Spray Dollar Notes On Her Amid Hunger, Hardship
-
News24 hours ago
Tinubu’s Presidency Is Failing Nigerians – Afenifere
-
News19 hours ago
Nationwide protest: ‘Airport Is Filled Up, Govs, Senators, Reps, Ministers Traveling Abroad’ — Fayose
-
News24 hours ago
IGP Orders DPOs, Their Men To Storm Vulcanizer Shops Ahead Of Planned Nationwide Protest
-
Metro23 hours ago
8 School Children Rescued In Lokoja Auto Crash