MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Sunday, Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny organized an anti-corruption rally without the permission of Moscow authorities in the Russian capital, which was attended by some 8,000 people with some 600 people, including Navalny himself, being detained by police. The rallies also took place in Saint Petersburg, Voronezh, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, as well as other cities.
"The UK is concerned by the detention on 26 March of hundreds of Russian citizens following organised protests… The UK calls on the government of Russia to release citizens detained during peaceful demonstrations, and to comply with its international commitments in the Council of Europe and the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]," a Foreign Office spokesperson said, as quoted in a statement.
The spokesperson claimed that the protesters exercised their fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by noting that Russian authorities respected the people's right to express their civil stance but not those who provoked illegal actions. Peskov stressed that law enforcement officials conducted themselves lawfully and professionally in their response to Sunday's unsanctioned rallies.
