Navalny Pleased With Russian Protests, Despite Arrest

Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny said the nationwide anticorruption protests which he called for were successful. Speaking at a hearing on June 12, where he was sentenced to 30 days in prison for staging unsanctioned rallies, Navalny said he was particularly pleased that protesters in several cities outside of Moscow took part. Navalny was detained before the unauthorized demonstration in the center of the capital, along with more than 1,500 protesters across the country. The first two questions in the impromptu interview came from RFE/RL's Russian Service.