Khabarovsk Holds 50th Protest For Ex-Governor, Rally Also Supports Navalny

Locals in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk have held their 50th protest against the July arrest of the region's popular former governor, Sergei Furgal. The pro-Furgal demonstrations have attracted tens of thousands of protesters on weekends since they started on July 11. Local media reports said that "thousands" came out on the streets on August 29, demanding that Furgal, who had been sent to Moscow following his arrest on suspicion of involvement in several murders more than a decade ago, be returned to the Khabarovsk region for "a fair trial" by jury. Demonstrators also voiced support for pro-democracy protests in Belarus against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Many demanded an investigation into the suspected poisoning on August 20 of prominent opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, who has remained in intensive care after being airlifted to Berlin for tests and treatment.