Russian opposition leader hospitalized after being detained by police

This September, Moscow is due for a city council election, and uproar has already begun regarding election authorities barring several candidates opposed to the dominant pro-Kremlin party from running.

One such candidate is Alexei Navalny, an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin who attempted to run against Putin in last year’s presidential election. Then, too, he was barred from the race.

Navalny spoke out in support of large-scale protests taking place in Moscow last weekend, and on Wednesday was detained by police while out jogging.

Yesterday, his spokesperson announced he had been hospitalized with an allergic reaction, despite having “never suffered from such reactions in the past.”

Speculation immediately arose that Navalny had been somehow poisoned or infected while in police custody, a common theme in discussions of Russian politics.

Currently, Navalny’s condition is not said to be serious, and he is receiving treatment while under police guard.