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Angry protesters are demonstrating in Russia... calling President Vladimir Putin a dictator.
This is all after Russia's opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to a harsh five-year
jail term... for theft.
We're getting reports now that in a likely response to public anger, the prosecution
has asked Navalny be freed pending appeal.
Connie Lee reports. More than 3-thousand angry protesters gathered near the Kremlin in Moscow
on Thursday.
Standing in the midst of a large police force,... they are shouting "Shame " and "Putin is a
thief "
Their anger rose after Russia's main opposition leader,... Alexei Navalny, was sentenced to
five years in jail for theft -- a punishment that some say... was motivated by politics,
not the law.
"He got five years today, and it is obvious that he was jailed not for a crime, but rather
for all the things he started at the end of 2011. Of course, it was a slap in the face
for the authorities. And now the authorities are just simply taking revenge against all
of us."
The 37-year-old Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner... and has led the biggest protests
against President Vladimir Putin since he took power in 2000.
But on Thursday morning,... Navalny was found guilty of organizing a scheme to embezzle
nearly 500-thousand U.S. dollars during a timber-trading deal.
He was expected to run in the next presidential election in 2018... or for Moscow mayor in
September,... but with the five-year jail sentence.. he will not be able to do either.
Protesters accuse President Putin of being a dictator and ruling by repression.
The police in Moscow clashed with protesters... and more 60 were detained.
Smaller rallies were also held in other cities.
The U.S. has reacted to the incident,.. with the White House saying it is "deeply disappointed
and concerned" by the conviction of Navalny.
"Navalny's harsh prison sentence is the latest example of a disturbing trend aimed at suppressing
dissent in civil society in Russia."
The White House is now calling on Russia to allow the opposition leader to appeal the
conviction.
Connie Lee, Arirang News.