More than 100 participants in an opposition rally detained in St Petersburg
In flagrant violation of the right of peaceful assembly enshrined in its own constitution, as well as in international conventions to which Russia is a signatory, the Russian authorities continue to stamp down on any opposition to the present regime
According to the Radio Svoboda correspondent, some of them were beaten.
The authorities prohibited the “March of those in dissent” [“Marsh nyesoglashnykh] on Nevsky Prospect which was attended by several thousand people.
Among those detained was the leader of the Petersburg branch of the United Civic Front Olga Kurnosova.
According to media reports, on 14 April in Moscow around 250 people attempting a “March of those in dissent” from Pushkin Square to Turgenevskaya Square were detained. Among them was the Leader of the United Civic Front Garry Kasparov. He was fined one thousand roubles for taking part in an unsanctioned protest action.