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Globe Live Media, Friday, January 29, 2021

Vladimir Putin’s popularity has fallen to the lowest level since early 2020 with the arrest and arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. and the massive protests to demand his release. According to the Kremlin-linked public opinion poll company, Russians’ trust in the head of state fell to 53% this week, its lowest point in 12 months.

35% of those surveyed answered that they do not trust the president and 12% declined to answer in a poll conducted between January 22 and 24, coinciding with the day of protests on Saturday throughout the country, which resulted in thousands of detainees. Confidence in Putin has not stopped declining since the publication in December of the videos in which the digital medium Bellingcat and Navalny accused the Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB) of being behind the poisoning of the opponent with the chemical agent Novichok.

To this must be added the video about what is now known as “Putin’s Palace”, a mansion built by business friends on the Black Sea, that has already been seen by more than 100 million people. Putin’s second lowest point in 2020 – 55% – coincided with the poisoning of Navalny on August 20, after which he was transferred to Germany, from where he returned on January 17.

Alexei Navalny seen via a screen via video link during a court hearing to consider an appeal on his detention, on January 28, 2021 (REUTERS / Maxim Shemetov)

Alexei Navalny seen via a screen via video link during a court hearing to consider an appeal on his detention.

Putin accused Navalny of working for the US secret services and denied that there are grounds to initiate a criminal case for the poisoning of his greatest enemy. Despite the fact that Justice this week rejected the recourse to Navalny’s arrest and his main allies have been arrested in recent days, the opposition has called a new day of protests on Sunday in 53 Russian cities.

“Come out and do not be afraid”Navalny wrote in a message posted on his team’s website. “Nobody wants to live in a country where arbitrariness and corruption rule”, he claimed. “We have the majority on our side”.

Navalny was arrested on January 18 upon arrival at Moscow airport after spending months in Germany recovering from the poisoning. The Russian justice decided to keep him in custody, so the leader denounced a “arbitrary” act that seeks to “intimidate everyone”, three days before new demonstrations in Russia. This decision comes hours after the arrest of several of his relatives and one day after a series of records against apartments of people close to him and premises of its Fund for the Fight against Corruption.

Protesters confront the police during a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the city of Vladivostok (Photo by Pavel KOROLYOV / AFP)

Protesters confront the police during a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the city of Vladivostok.

The Russian Prosecutor’s Office warned today that, in the event of “provocations or attempted violent actions”, Violators can be charged with mass disturbances, a charge that can carry several years in prison. The Russian authorities have opened criminal cases in recent years for riots when the opposition to Putin has chained several massive protests.

Last weekend, nationwide demonstrations called for Navalny’s release. According to estimates by the Human Rights body, some 3,700 people were arrested on Saturday in different parts of Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow and more than 550 in Saint Petersburg. More than 40 people were injured in these protests, which lacked official permission, according to police sources cited by the TASS news agency.

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