For the Russian authorities, the threat of Navalny lies in the message not the man

The arrest of Alexei Navalny for organising an ‘unauthorised’ anti-corruption rally on 12 June represents the latest in a long line of run-ins with the authorities and simply adds to his credentials as one of Russia’s leading opposition figures, writes Sean Roberts. However, the real issue for the Kremlin is his anti-corruption message and its contagious spread across the country amid continuing economic difficulties and ahead of the all-important March 2018 presidential election.