Would-be opposition candidate for Moscow City Duma re-arrested immediately after completing fourth straight jail sentence

Ilya Yashin, who attempted to run for the Moscow City Duma as an opposition candidate, was arrested today as he left the holding cell where he was serving his fourth jail term this month, MBK Media reported. The exclusion of independent candidates like Yashin from the Moscow City Duma elections has sparked ongoing protests in Moscow since mid-July.

Yashin has been in in police custody since July 29. He has served four consecutive jail sentences so far for organizing or encouraging the protests that have advocated for independent candidates like himself: a number of those protests did not receive a permit. A number of other would-be independent candidates are also serving terms in jail for similar violations.