Russian opposition leader detained at protest

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Sunday was detained shortly after joining a rally in Moscow.

The anticorruption crusader took to Twitter to announce that he had been detained after joining a rally of more than 1,000 people in central Moscow.

Hundreds of his supporters joined a nationwide day of protest against the authorities on Sunday, calling on voters to boycott what they said would be a rigged presidential poll on March 18 and is likely to Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin until 2024.

Some demonstrators were chanting slogans such as "Boycott the election" and "Russia without (President Vladimir) Putin."

"Your life is at stake," Navalny told supporters in a video address released ahead of the rally. "How many more years do you want to live with these thieves, bigots and perverts in power? We've already endured this for 18 years," reported the Guardian.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Police raided Navalny's Moscow office, questioning supporters and shutting off his online television broadcast and detaining some officials.

Rallies are reportedly planned in more than 100 towns and cities, some with permission from local authorities.

According to several media reports, police officers told those present that they were acting on a tip-off about a potential bomb threat.

Navalny, an anti-corruption lawyer and opposition activist, is widely considered to be the only real challenger to President Vladimir Putin's rule, but has been barred from running in the March 18 election.