Police arrested more than 1,000 people across the city Russia, in demonstrations in favor of the imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This was stated by the non-governmental organization OVD-Info, which monitors the protests in the country.
Supporters of the Kremlin’s best-known critic fear he will die in prison as he goes on a three-week hunger strike and demand proper medical care. Authorities say Navalny is being treated like any other detainee and warn that the protests are illegal.
According to OVD-Info, at least 1,004 people have been arrested. Most of the arrests, 351 in total, took place in St. Petersburg, while in Moscow the protesters marched without any major incidents.
Prior to the protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg, there were numerous demonstrations – including arrests – mainly in Siberia and the Far East.
Some of the arrests were made before the demonstrations, others during them. Searches were also carried out at offices linked to Navalny’s organization.
In Vladivostok, several hundred protesters marched peacefully, holding placards with slogans such as “Freedom for political prisoners” and “No to war, repression and torture”, according to a French news agency AFP correspondent.
In Siberia, at least 2,000 people protested in the cities of Irkutsk and Novosibirsk, according to the independent news site Taiga.info. “Navalny must live!” Shouted those gathered in Novosibirsk, as can be heard in a video posted on this site.
Helga Piragova, a city councilor who supports Navalny in Novosibirsk, said the mobilization in the city was currently “peaceful, without arrests”.
Thousands rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg to express their support for the Navalny prisoner. Police spoke to 6,000 protesters in the capital and 4,500 in the second largest city of Russia.
The organizers did not announce their estimates for participating in the mobilizations.
(file photo)
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