Thousands of Russians protest governor's arrest, demand 'Putin step down'

Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest the arrest of a regional governor, demanding both his release and President Vladimir Putin’s resignation, according to reports.

Sergei Furgal, the governor of Khabarovsk, is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, having defeated a candidate of Putin’s own United Russia party. Just days after Putin won a landslide ballot on constitutional reforms, Furgal was arrested on suspicion of multiple murders, according to the Moscow Times.

The alleged murders occurred between 2004-2005 in the Khabarovsk territory, resulting in the deaths of several businessmen while Furgal was himself involved in the timber and scrap metal trade.