Moscow opposition activist is re-arrested as he exits jail

Police officers arrested Oleg Stepanov, the coordinator of Alexey Navalny’s Moscow headquarters, as he exited the city’s No. 2 Detention Center, where he'd just finished serving an eight-day jail sentence. According to MBKh Media, Stepanov now faces new misdemeanor charges for violating Russia’s laws on public assemblies.

Stepanov was previously sentenced to eight days in jail for advocating an unauthorized rally on July 27 outside Moscow City Hall to protest election officials’ refusal to register independent candidates in September’s City Duma race. Alexey Navalny was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the same offense.

Thousands of demonstrators attended the July 27 protest, provoking a violent response from police officers and National Guardsmen, who arrested more than 1,300 people. Following the demonstration, state investigators opened a criminal case against “rioting” and several activists who allegedly attacked police officers.