US and EU condemn protests in Russia Medvedev, 'Navalny is a political rogue

Russia yesterday experienced another day of political repression.

For the second weekend in a row, police have returned to stifle protests against the detention of Putin's number one rival,

, with arrests and batons

.

The NGO Ovd-Info reported at least 4,923 detained in the evening, including 82 journalists.

There is also news of some injured demonstrators and officers who used tasers against demonstrators.

The violence of the Russian police has been harshly criticized by the European Union.

"Even today I condemn the mass arrests and the disproportionate use of force against demonstrators and journalists in Russia," said EU High Representative

.

Statements on the same wavelength came from the US of

, who through the mouth of Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the "brutal tactics" of the Kremlin against the demonstrators and in response were accused by the Moscow Foreign Ministry of "gross interference" in Russia's internal affairs. 

The vice president of the Russian Security Council,

, described the opponent Alexey Navalny as a "political rogue", whose attempts to come to power are becoming increasingly "cynical and unscrupulous".

"I had this opinion before and I still think so. I believe Navalny is a political rogue, a person who employs reckless tactics to gain power in order to achieve his goals," Medvedev said.

"In this regard, Navalny's actions have become much more cynical and unscrupulous than they were just a few years ago," he added, quoted by Tass. 

Medvedev claims that Twitter suggests Alexey Navalny's profile to its new Russian users.

"It happened to a friend of mine recently, it was the first recommended profile," he said in an interview shot by Tass.

"I think this is an absolutely politicized and absolutely cynical position, and what's more, this corresponds to interference in the internal affairs of another country," Medvedev stressed.