had been labelled extremist and banned with immediate effect. anyone who publicly supports mr navalny s political network can now be barred from running for public office. russian parliamentary elections are due to take place injust over three months. in neighbouring belarus, opposition activists are being silenced too. sofia sapega and her activist boyfriend roman protasevich, were arrested when their ryanair flight was forcibly diverted to minsk, sparking international condemnation. but sofia has managed to speak to her family, telling them she s not giving in and is holding up in prison. news of how she is coping came in three letters to herfamily she d written injail. here s our correspondent in moscow, sarah rainsford. sofia s mother shared these letters with me late last night. they were the very first direct communication she s had with sofia since she was arrested on the 23rd