Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been arrested in Moscow as protest demonstrations called by him took place across the country.

He has called on supporters to continue the demonstrations despite his arrest Sunday.

He said on Twitter: "They have detained me. This doesn't mean anything ... you didn't come out for me, but for your future."

Protests ranging from a few dozen to several hundred people were reported throughout the country.

Mr Navalny is calling for a boycott of the March 18 presidential election in which President Vladimir Putin is seeking a fourth term.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.