In March, the Russian regime carried out raids ahead of the “noon against Putin” operation

A spontaneous tribute to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in captivity in his Arctic prison on Friday 16 February, did not please Moscow authorities. Across the country, Russian citizens who flocked to memorial sites were arrested for identification.

At the end of the afternoon, this Saturday, February 17, the NGO specializing in human rights OVD-Info counted 340 arrests, including 230 today. Some people have been released, but initial sentences of four to five days have already been handed down.

Last day of election, March 17

The raids show the Kremlin’s excitement a month before Russia’s three-day presidential election from March 15 to 17.

1^er In February, from his Siberian prison, Alexei Nalveni encouraged his listeners to participate in the operation. Afternoon against Putin . She has called on voters who want to show their opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin to head to polling stations en masse on March 17, the last day of voting in the Russian presidential election, at noon.

Also read. Ahead of the presidential election, Moscow continues its purge of dissidents

Real people are lining up to vote against Putin There will be a powerful symbol in front Yes vote, false and fraudulent Navalny wrote, a message relayed by his team on the social network the witch Able to manipulate ballots.

“Legal and Safe” performance

Such would be a guerilla performance Completely legal and safe , Navalny insisted, the demonstrators would be no different from Putin supporters voting at the same time. Public protests have been illegal in Russia since 2014 and can be punished with up to five years in prison.

the idea of Afternoon against Putin Not directly signed by Navalny; It goes to Maxim Reznik, a former member of the Parliament of St. Petersburg and a prominent critic of the Kremlin in exile. But it is a concrete translation of a public appeal launched by the opposition in December to vote for the Russians Anyone but Putin During the March elections.

The Russian opposition in exile was welcomed in Brussels

Anti-Putin slogans were chanted in Brussels on Wednesday 14 February, when the European Parliament welcomed members of the Russian opposition party in exile. The Kremlin is trying to send a propaganda message to the world – that 85% of Russians support Mr Putin. Leonid Volkov explained.

Also read. Descriptive. Alexei Navalny, Moscow’s Enemy Silenced

The former head of the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), who also headed Alexei Navalny’s cabinet, called on Russians to participate on a larger scale. Afternoon against Putin March 17 in polling booths. Such as Vladimir Milov, former Russian Deputy Energy Minister in exile, and lawyer Vadim Prokhorov, director of the Free Russia Foundation. They said the long queue outside the polling booths at noon on the last day indicated that they appeared empty on other days. In other words: lack of support for the Putin vote, no matter what the pro-Kremlin media says.

The question of recognizing the legitimacy of the election is extremely important and sensitive for the Putin regime. Prokhorov said he defended jailed rival Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason.