Conviction of Putin foe sets off protest in Moscow
President Vladimir Putin's chief political foe was convicted along with his brother on Tuesday in a fraud case widely seen as a political vendetta by the Kremlin, triggering one of Russia's boldest anti-government demonstrations in years.
Police allowed a few thousand protesters to gather just outside Red Square for about two hours -- a show of relative restraint for Russian authorities, who have little tolerance for dissent -- before moving in to break up the unsanctioned rally by pushing the demonstrators toward subway entrances.
The rally came hours after anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny was found guilty of what activists said were trumped-up charges and given a suspended sentence of 3½ years. His younger brother was sent to prison, a move that drew comparisons to the Stalin-era practice of punishing family members of enemies of the state.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said the US government was troubled by the verdict, which "appears to be another example of the Russian government's growing crackdown on independent voices."
European Union spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the charges hadn't been substantiated and the verdict "appeared to be politically motivated."
