KAZAN, Russia -- A member of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny’s campaign staff in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan has been sentenced to 15 days for "violating laws on public gatherings."
A court in Tatarstan's capital, Kazan, found Andrei Boyarshinov guilty of two violations on August 2 and sentenced him to 15 days in jail on the same day.
Boyarshinov took part in Navalny-organized anticorruption rallies held in Kazan on March 26. Police say he also took part in another unsanctioned protest in Kazan in May.
On July 8, Boyarshinov and a colleague of his were detained when they were distributing print materials promoting Navalny's bid for the presidency. Authorities accused the men of illegally distributing election materials.
Dozens of Navalny's campaign workers have been detained or questioned in Moscow and other cities in recent weeks.
Anticorruption blogger Navalny is actively campaigning for the March 2018 presidential election, in which President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to seek and win a fourth term.
Russia's Central Election Commission said in June that Navalny would be ineligible to run for president, citing one of his convictions that the politician says was politically motivated and used only to block his candidacy.
