Russia Election: Navalny-Inspired Protests on Final Day of Voting

On the final day of the Russian presidential election, where President Vladimir Putin is seeking a fifth term, Navalny protests took place in various locations on the 17th (local time). This election began on the 15th and ended on the 18th. The counting starts as soon as the voting ends, and the exit poll results from the polling agencies are expected to be announced.Excluding President Putin, the other three candidates show a weak support rate. These include Nikolai Haritonov of the Russian Federation Communist Party, Vladislav Davankov of the New People’s Party, and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).

[yarpp]

Amid the certainty of President Putin’s fifth victory, President Putin will rule Russia for another six years until 2030 if he wins this time.

Despite receiving much support, there are voices opposing the current regime. At various polling stations, people who tried to damage the ballots by pouring green liquid on the ballot box or attempted arson were detained.

Supporters of Alexei Navalny, an anti-government activist who died in prison last month, urged to protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin at the polling stations at noon. As noon struck, long lines of voters willing to participate in the protest were reported at several polling stations in Russia.

Navalny’s colleagues announced on YouTube that protests were held at noon in Russia’s Far East and Siberian cities, including Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Irkutsk, and the Ural region, including Yekaterinburg.

Russian authorities warned that organizing or participating in an ‘uncoordinated protest’ at noon could result in a maximum prison sentence of five years. As the method of protest was a ‘minimal protest’ through voting, there was no major clash between the public authority and citizens.

The Russian human rights group OVD-Info reported that 47 people were detained in 13 cities about the election that day. Depending on the region, it is announced that the police checked the identities of those in line or inspected their belongings.