The police opened a new criminal investigation on Friday against Aleksei Navalny, the street protest leader and anticorruption activist, who is already being questioned in two other cases.
The new charges became public the day before a planned opposition rally, which Mr. Navalny said in an interview he would lead despite the announcement.
The organizing committee for the rally, which Mr. Navalny heads, had asked to gather at Lubyanka Square, in front of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service, the successor to the K.G.B. When it became clear on Thursday that the city would deny a parade permit, Mr. Navalny called for supporters to come out anyway.
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