Anti-Putin Activist Barred from Leaving Russia

Moscow: Russian opposition figurehead Alexey Navalny on Tuesday said he was prevented from leaving the country to attend a hearing at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, which is set to rule on whether his numerous arrests by Russian authorities were politically motivated. His arrests were linked to his anti-corruption activism and his involvement in organizing protests. Navalny, a vociferous critic of President Vladimir Putin, was refused permission to leave Russia by border guards. (IANS)