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MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin believes it can easily ride out nationwide protests over the arrest and jailing of opposition politician Alexei Navalny and is ready to authorise the use of more force against demonstrators if necessary, two sources close to it said.
A still image taken from video footage shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is accused of flouting the terms of a suspended sentence for embezzlement, making a hand heart gesture during the announcement of a court verdict in Moscow, Russia February 2, 2021. Press Service of Simonovsky District Court/Handout via REUTERS
Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent domestic critic, was jailed for nearly three years on Tuesday in a case that has prompted three nationwide protests, strident Western condemnation and talk of sanctions on Moscow.