Police raid properties of Kremlin critic Navalny

An ally of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posted a video on social media on Wednesday (January 27) of what he said are ‘heavies in masks’ attempting to break in to an apartment and offices belonging to the jailed Kremlin critic.

At one property, Navalny's wife Yulia was heard inside calling for police to wait for her lawyer to arrive.

Ivan Zhdanov, director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said police appeared to be conducting the searches as part of an investigation into calls made to hold a protest that flouted public health restrictions on mass gatherings.

Tens of thousands of Navalny's supporters took to the streets on Saturday to call on the Kremlin to release him from jail where he is serving a 30-day stint for alleged parole violations that he denies.

Police had said the protests were illegal, and detained close to 4,000 people.

Navalny was arrested immediately on his return to Moscow last week.

He had been recovering in Germany since being poisoned last summer.