Protests against President Putin broke out in Russia for the second weekend in a row - thousands of demonstrators were arrested.
In Russia, the oppositionist Alexei Navalny * is calling on the people to protest against
Vladimir Putin
.
There were repeated
demonstrations
in several cities,
resulting in thousands of arrests.
Also Nawalnys
wife Julia Nawalnaja
was briefly detained in Moscow.
Moscow - Nationwide
protests
are expected in Russia on Sunday
Thousands of demonstrators against President Vladimir Putin * have been arrested.
The non-governmental organization OVD-Info reported around
4,400 arrests
of supporters of the imprisoned opposition activist Alexej Navalny *, who had called for the marches.
Internationally, the handling of the demonstrators is sharply criticized.
Protests in Russia: White House with sharp criticism of “brutal” use by the Russian police
It was already the second weekend of the protests in Russia and the security forces again cracked down on demonstrators.
The hard line caused a diplomatic confrontation between the Kremlin and the
White House
, Joe Biden * Foreign Minister
Antony Blinken
condemned the "
brutal
" use of state power against "peaceful demonstrators".
Blinken also renewed its “call to Russia to release those arrested for exercising their human rights” on Twitter.
Russia describes the criticism of the US as "gross
interference
in internal affairs", the Russian State Department accused the country of spreading false information through "online platforms controlled by Washington".
There
was also plenty of headwind for Russia
on the part of the
EU
, with EU Foreign Affairs Representative
Josep
Borrell
calling on Twitter that people in Russia should be able to protest without fear of repression.
He also complained
about
“
mass arrests
” and the “disproportionate use of
force
” against representatives of the press and demonstrators.
He also called on Russia to adhere to international obligations.
Protests in Russia: Thousands of people on the streets - Navalny's wife temporarily arrested
Large demonstrations broke out in many cities on the second weekend, and around
950 people
were arrested
in St. Petersburg
.
As reported by local media, the police used tear gas and electric batons.
In Novosibirsk, according to information from the independent Taiga portal, around
5,000 people will take
to the streets
despite temperatures around minus 20 degrees
.
At least
60 journalists were
arrested across the country.
Navalny's wife
Julia Navalnaya
was arrested during mass protests in Moscow and was only released in the evening after she had shared a photo of herself on the street on Instagram shortly before.
She also criticized the fact that Alexey's brother Oley Navalny had been taken into custody as a kind of "hostage" and accused Putin of arbitrarily determining the life or death of people.
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Protests in Russia: Navalny's prison continues to be the target of protest marches - 1357 arrests in Moscow
In Moscow, people gathered in various places who were taking part in a march to the local remand prison, where Navalny is being held.
According OVD are alone in Moscow
in 1357 people
have been arrested.
In recent weeks there have been protests and numerous arrests at the prison, and the demonstrators are still demanding the release of the regime critic.
His
hearing
in court will follow on Tuesday, and according to his lawyer, he faces about two and a half years in prison.
(
ajr
) *
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.