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Police Detain Twenty Protesters in Moscow

15 February 2012 02:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Twenty protesters were detained at an unauthorized rally in ront of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in downtown Moscow on Tuesday, police said, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

An opposition activist, Alexander Averin, said in his LiveJournal blog that the protest rally was held by supporters of the Other Russia unregistered party and other civil activists. He said the rally was against the March 4 presidential elections that critics claim will be illegitimate.

A RIA Novosti correspondent reported that protesters unfolded a banner, threw opposition leaflets and chanted mottos. The banner read â€œStop Dictatorshipâ€ and the mottos criticized Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin, according to Averinâ€™s blog.

Police warned protesters that the rally was not sanctioned by authorities. When they refused to obey, police officers detained them. Some of the rally participants resisted the arrest, police said.

According to the Echo of Moscow liberal radio station, the arresteesâ€™ associates said police officers used â€œbrutal physical forceâ€ against opposition activists, and some protesters were injured. But police said officers acted strictly in line with the law.