Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(MOSCOW) — About 100 people were arrested at the Red Square in Moscow on Tuesday after an opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin was found guilty of fraud.
Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner, was given a suspended sentence of 3.5 years on Tuesday, the New York Times reports. Navalny has been under house arrest since February, BBC News says.
Upwards of 1,000 people were gathered at the scene, BBC News reported.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke condemned Navalny’s arrest, calling it “a disturbing development in our view, and it appears to be designed to further punish and deter political activism.” Rathke called the action “another example of the Russian government’s growing crackdown on independent voices.”
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is advising American citizens to avoid the protest area.
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