TEMPO.CO, St. Petersburg - More than 260 people have been detained across Russia as jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s supporters staged protest rallies on Vladimir Putin’s 65^th birthday.

Dozens were arrested in Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg, Russia’s second biggest city. One woman had her leg broken when riot police dispersed hundreds of protesters chanting “Putin is a thief!” in the centre of the city, according to Russian media. Blood could be seen pouring down the head of another woman detained by police in footage posted to social media.

The protest in St Petersburg was just one of more than 80 anti-Putin rallies that took place across Russia on Saturday, after Navalny was sentenced to 20 days in prison on Mondayfor organising “unsanctioned public rallies.”

This was the third time Navalny, a 41-year-old anti-corruption lawyer who wants to stand against Putin at next year’s presidential elections, has been jailed since March.

In a message dictated from prison, Navalny urged his supporters to demand that the Kremlin allow genuine political competition. Russia’s government-controlled election committee says the opposition leader is barred from running at next March’s elections because of a previous conviction for fraud.

Navalny says the charges were trumped up to prevent him challenging Putin for the presidency.

ANTARANEWS | THE GUARDIAN