Navalny supporters keep the pressure on Putin in new wave of protests 3 minutes read By Celine Aemisegger Moscow, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Supporters of Alexei Navalny on Sunday kept the pressure on President Vladimir Putin by turning out for large protests all across Russia to demand the release from jail of the opposition leader and to express their indignation with the country’s economic and social situation, and they did so amid significant repressive measures by the government and the arrests of more than 5,000 people. “I came to defend my rights and the rights of the political prisoners. This is important to me and I think that it should be important to everyone,” student Sofia told EFE as she participated along with thousands of other people in the Moscow protest.