London, Feb 20 (IANS): Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to 15 days in prison for handing out leaflets to publicise a forthcoming demonstration, a media report said Friday.

His imprisonment bars him from taking part in the planned rally March 1, BBC reported.

Navalny was given a suspended sentence for defrauding two firms in December.

He says the legal cases against him are motivated by his opposition to President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny left the courthouse Thursday night in a police car and wearing handcuffs.

He urged his followers to attend the rally against President Putin's policies.

"To ease the economic and political crisis we have to pressure the authorities. Let's go to the anti-crisis rally," he said earlier in a video posted on his Twitter account.

Navalny led Moscow street protests against President Putin between 2011 and 2012.

Last year he and his brother Oleg were accused of stealing 30m roubles ($462,000) from two companies.

Oleg was given a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence, while Navalny was given a suspended sentence that prosecutors say they will appeal against.