Mr. Navalny himself has been held in detention since his return from Germany on January 17 after recovering from a nerve agent attack that took place last August. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, is to probe the chemical weapon attack on Mr. Navalny. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has termed Moscow’s crackdown on Mr. Navalny and the protesters as “a violation of human rights”. President Putin’s ratings have steadily dipped in opinion polls, as has support for his United Russia party. Coinciding with his detention was another exposé linking Mr. Putin to an opulent £1 billion development on the Black Sea coast.

Source: The Hindu January 26, 2021 18:46 UTC