Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was detained for breaking house arrest to join protests in Moscow as President Vladimir Putin stares down opponents during the country’s worst economic crisis since 2009.

Navalny’s arrest came hours after a court handed him a suspended sentence and condemned his brother to 3 1/2 years in prison on fraud and money-laundering charges. Navalny described the verdict as an act of vengeance by Putin’s administration.

“The fact that they’ve detained me means just one thing, that there will be one less person for them to arrest,” Navalny, who has led the biggest protests against Putin in his 15 years in power, said on his Twitter account after he was held. “They can’t detain all of us.”

Putin is facing dissent at home as plunging oil prices and U.S. and European sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine are driving Russia into recession. The verdict against Navalny and his brother “appears to be politically motivated,” the European Union said in a statement on its website, adding that the charges hadn’t been substantiated during the trial.

Navalny was arrested as he approached the site of the protest in Moscow’s Manezh square, near the Kremlin. Officers dispersed the crowd of about 1,500 people at about 9 p.m. Moscow time. They detained at least 100, Interfax reported, citing the capital’s police service.

David Fuller's view

Putin’s political tactics are to tell lies about foreign governments and crack down on political opposition at home with more untruths and bogus charges.  Sadly, there are enough corrupt people in the government, judiciary, military and police to carry out Putin’s orders. 

However, we can also be sure that there are plenty of educated, Russians who are ashamed and angered by what is going on in their country and appalled by Putin’s vengeful tactics.  Political support is ephemeral and not least for dictators who turn against their citizens.  Putin is in for a rough 2015, and he knows it. 

The only question for international investors is: How far will the fallout extend?

See also: 2015: The Year of the Putin Dictatorship.