Derechos Humanos / Human Rights

Vladimir Putin bars his main electoral rival from running

Russian anti-corruption campaigner and opposition figure Alexei Navalny convicted at the Lublinsky district court in Moscow  

Moscow, Feb.8.─ A court in Kirov Wednesday convicted Alexei Navalny on dubious embezzlement charges, which means Russia’s most popular opposition leader will likely be barred from challenging Vladimir Putin when the Kremlin strongman makes his widely expected presidential rerun in 2018.

The 40-year-old Mr. Navalny rose to prominence a decade ago as an anticorruption blogger shedding light on the ill-gotten gains of the Kremlin oligarchy. Young and charismatic, he extended his appeal beyond the middle-class urbanites who read his blog. When he called ruling United Russia “the party of crooks and thieves,” the label stuck.

Havana, Jan.31 (DP.net).─ Artist Danilo "El Sexto" Maldonado, 32, was imprisoned the day after Fidel Castro died (Nov. 25) for having spray-painted “Se fue” (He’s gone) on a wall in front of the Habana Libre Hotel. He was released “without charges” on Saturday, Jan. 21, after 57 days detention without trial. In Cuba, any criticism of the country’s leaders is strictly prohibited.

In 2015 he had landed in prison for 10 months charged with "desacato" because he had carved and painted two pigs with the names of the two main revolutionary leaders, "Raúl" and "Fidel".