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Aleksei Navalny was detained on his way to a rally in Moscow.
Aleksei Navalny was detained on his way to a rally in Moscow.

Live Updates: Aleksei Navalny Detained

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-- Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny has been detained by police while trying to reach an unsanctioned rally in Moscow against his December 30 conviction in a fraud case. He was trying to reach the protest near the Kremlin despite being under house arrest.

-- Russian riot police have deployed in Moscow's Manezh Square, near the Kremlin, where thousands of demonstrators at an unsanctioned rally are protesting a court ruling against Navalny.

-- A Russian court found Navalny and his brother Oleg guilty. Oleg will get 3 1/2 years in a prison colony while Aleksei has been given a 3 1/2-year suspended sentence.

-- Speaking after the verdict, Navalny called on Russians to take to the streets. He said the state had taken to "torture" of family members. Other activists have compared the sentence of his brother to "hostage-taking."

-- Prosecutors claimed Navalny and his brother stole about 31 million rubles ($520,000) from the Russian affiliate of Yves Rocher, a French cosmetics firm. They were both also fined 500,000 rubles ($8,500) each and ordered to pay 4.4 million rubles ($70,000) in compensation to one of the companies they were charged with defrauding.

-- The verdict was originally scheduled for January 15, but in a surprise move authorities moved the date to December 30. Some suspect the change of timing is to distract from a protest being organized on January 15. The official holiday season begins on January 1 in Russia.

NOTE: Times according to Moscow time.

08:25 30.12.2014

Short update from our news desk on Navalny's call to protest:

Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has called on Russians to take to the streets following his conviction on fraud charges in Moscow.

Speaking outside the court following the reading of the verdict, Navalny said: "This regime has no right to exist. It must be destroyed. I call on everyone to take to the streets today."

Navalny's comments came moments after the court convicted him and his brother, Oleg, of fraud. Navalny was given a 3 1/2-year suspended jail term, while Oleg was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison.

Navalny denies wrongdoing and says he is the target of politically motivated harassment for his opposition to President Vladimir Putin.

Defense lawyers said they will appeal the verdict.

State prosecutors, who had requested 10-year prison terms for the brothers, said they will consider an appeal after they read the court's ruling.

08:52 30.12.2014

Video of Navalny speaking outside the courtroom this morning. A regime that tortures families has no right to exist, he says. "It must be destroyed."

08:57 30.12.2014

Hugh Williamson, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia director:

09:18 30.12.2014

Oleg Navalny's defense team has filed a complaint protesting his detention today. They say that during the appeals process, he can legally only be held under house arrest.

09:27 30.12.2014

09:33 30.12.2014

10:06 30.12.2014

10:25 30.12.2014

Navalny in court today after learning his brother was being given a prison sentence (and not him):

"It is shameful that you are doing this. What are you putting him in prison for? How can you act so disgustingly, I don't understand. All this is being done to punish me even more."

11:08 30.12.2014

11:10 30.12.2014

Police have completely cordoned off Manezh Square, the area where opposition leaders have called for demonstrations tonight.

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