Police in Russia's Siberian Republic of Sakha-Yakutia detained local blogger Pyotr Shepelev on June 18, just hours before a visit to the regional capital, Yakutsk, by President Vladimir Putin. It is unclear why the blogger, who is known for raising social and economic issues faced by the remote region, was detained. He was taking the trash from his apartment when security officers took him into custody. Earlier on June 18, Shepelev wrote on Telegram that two people appeared to be surveying his apartment block, suggesting that it was linked to Putin's visit. The president arrived in Yakutsk on June 18 before flying on to North Korea and Vietnam. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.
