VKontakte has blocked most of the groups dedicated to the upcoming “Free Navalny!” actions.

VKontakte blocked all (or almost all) groups dedicated to protests for the release of Alexei Navalny on January 23. When you try to enter the “Freedom for Navalny” communities in different cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg , the following message appears on the pages: “This material is blocked on the territory of the Russian Federation based on the requirement of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation dated January 20, 2021 No. 31.27.2021/Id430- 21".

On the morning of January 22, information appeared on the official website of Roskomnadzor that, at the request of the department and the Prosecutor General’s Office, social networks began to remove “calls for children to participate in illegal mass actions.”

According to Roskomnadzor, by the beginning of the day, VKontakte and YouTube had stopped distributing 50% of such information, Instagram - 17%, and TikTok - 38%. Previously, the department demanded that popular social networks remove materials “aimed at involving minors in committing illegal acts.” Otherwise, social networks promise to fine you.

• All over Russia, on January 23, those dissatisfied with the arrest of Alexei Navalny are going to protest. OVD-Info collects information on how law enforcement agencies harass FBK employees and other activists before rallies. Before the action itself, some activists and FBK employees were detained in advance .
• Navalny was arrested after returning to Russia in connection with the Yves Rocher case, in which the politician was sentenced to three and a half years of suspended imprisonment. On January 11, the Federal Penitentiary Service demanded that Navalny’s suspended sentence be replaced with a real one, explaining that Navalny allegedly violated the terms of his probation. The next day, the politician announced that he would fly to Russia on January 17. Soon, the Federal Penitentiary Service announced its intention to detain Navalny “upon establishing his whereabouts.”