Russian authorities have charged a supporter of Russian opposition politician and anticorruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny with hooliganism, said an activist.
Sergei Ukhov, a coordinator for Navalny in the city of Perm, said activist Aleksandr Shabarchin was arrested and charged on January 3.
Ukhov said Shabarchin was ordered to remain in the city as police investigated his alleged involvement in erecting an effigy of Russian President Vladimir Putin in central Perm in November.
Shabarchin’s arrest came after police searched his apartment and confiscated his computer, said Ukhov.
If found guilty, Shabarchin faces up to seven years in prison.
Two more activists, whose names have not been disclosed, were also charged in the case.
Putin's effigy was placed in Perm's central Lenin Street on November 11.
The effigy was draped in a black-and-white prison robe and affixed with signs saying “War Criminal” and “Liar.”