Russian court puts Putin foe under house arrest, bars Internet use

Police officers detain protest leader Alexei Navalny outside Zamoskvoretsky district court in Moscow, on Feb 24, 2014, during a protest against the trial of eight people accused of instigating mass riots after an opposition rally on Moscow's on Bolot
Police officers detain protest leader Alexei Navalny outside Zamoskvoretsky district court in Moscow, on Feb 24, 2014, during a protest against the trial of eight people accused of instigating mass riots after an opposition rally on Moscow's on Bolotnaya square turned violent on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president in 2012. A Russian court on Friday, Feb 28, 2014, placed opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for at least two months and barred him from using the Internet or speaking to the media. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP

MOSCOW (REUTERS) - A Russian court on Friday placed opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for at least two months and barred him from using the Internet or speaking to the media.

Navalny, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and a leader of anti-Kremlin protests in 2011-2012, denounced the ruling as baseless and said it was meant to silence him.

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