Russia pushes back after Putin ‘palace’ probe

Moscow, Jan. 21: Russian prosecutors warned supporters of Alexei Navalny on Thursday against staging demonstrations, after his probe into President Vladimir Putin's alleged “palace” became the Kremlin critic's most-watched YouTube investigation.

Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Thursday that the twohour video report into an opulent Black Sea property allegedly owned by Putin had been viewed more than 41 million times since its release Tuesday.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner published the investigation into “the world's most expensive palace” days after his arrest in Moscow on arrival from Germany.

Navalny in the video urged his supporters to take the streets on Saturday to protest Putin, who had ruled over Russia for two decades.

Prosecutors responded on Thursday by warning Russians who called for “illegal mass protests” and demanded a ban on websites promoting

Saturday's demonstrations. “Law enforcement agencies have been advised to take preventative measures and take administrative action against violators,” the Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement.

State communications watchdog Roskomnadzor later warned social media platforms including TikTok against encouraging minors to participate in the rallies, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic. “Administrative action will be taken against internet platforms,” the watchdog said adding that failure to remove “banned information” could result in fines of up to 4 million rubles ($54,000). Following Navalny's arrest and latest graft report, many Russians took to social media — including TikTok, a video app popular among teens, and even dating app Tinder — to voice support and urge a large turnout on Saturday.

A number of figures including actors, musicians and athletes have in recent days spoken out in support of the jailed opposition figure.