Russian police detain some 4,400 protesters calling for release of Alexei Navalny
- Hundreds of riot police officers lined the streets of Moscow from the early hours of Sunday morning, restricting movements of pedestrians
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed the Russian authorities over their ‘harsh’ response to the protests
Russian police on Sunday detained more than 4,400 people at rallies across the country calling for the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the OVD-Info monitoring group said.
Hundreds of police officers in riot gear lined the streets of the capital from the early hours of Sunday morning, restricting movements of pedestrians around the centre.
In a rare move, Moscow city authorities also closed several central Metro stations and diverted overground transport.
Opposition supporters had called for a second weekend of demonstrations after tens of thousands protested nationwide last Saturday over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday condemned Russian authorities for their “harsh” response to the protests.
“The US condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight,” Blinken said on his official Twitter account. “We renew our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights.”
