Kremlin foe Navalny jailed for 30 days

MOSCOW — A Russian judge on Monday ordered opposition leader Alexei Navalny jailed for 30 days, a ruling that comes after the leading Kremlin critic returned to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on President Vladimir Putin’s government.

The ruling concluded an hours-long court hearing at a police precinct where Navalny was being held since his arrest at a Moscow airport on Sunday evening sparked sharp reactions, both at home and around the world.

A crowd of Navalny supporters outside the precinct shouted “Shame!” and immediately called for protests.

His arrest had already prompted a wave of criticism from U.S. and European officials, adding to existing tensions between Russia and the West.

The 44-year-old Navalny, Putin’s most well-known critic, campaigned to challenge him in the 2018 election but was barred from running. He has issued scores of damning reports over the years about corruption in Russia under Putin’s regime. After recuperating for months in Berlin after his Aug. 20 poisoning, he returned to Russia on Sunday evening despite warnings that he would be immediately arrested.