Russian women form ‘chain of solidarity’ for wife of jailed Kremlin critic Navalny

Dozens of female protesters gathered in central Moscow on Valentine's Day (February 14) to form a "chain of solidarity and love" for Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Dozens of female protesters gathered in central Moscow on Valentine's Day (February 14) to form a "chain of solidarity and love" for Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

The demonstrators held balloons, flowers and posters calling for the release of Navalny and other "political prisoners", including Russian activist Anastasiya Shevchenko.

Navalny was arrested in January on his return from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack allegedly by Russia’s FSB spy agency.

He was jailed on 2 February for violating parole on what he said were trumped-up charges.

Schevchenko has been under house arrest for more than two years.

And her supporters say her only "crime" was participating in a public debate.

The prosecution argues that her activities were linked to a banned foreign organization, Open Russia Civic Movement (ORCM).