Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on Saturday expressed his thanks to everyone who has taken to the Moscow streets to protest his 15-day imprisonment following a sanctioned rally on New Year's Eve.
The co-chair of the Solidarity movement remains in a detention center in Moscow, but Ekho Moskvy said he managed to contact the radio station thanks to the prison officer on duty at the jail.
Activists have protested every day against the jailing of Nemtsov and three other opposition leaders. Ilya Yashin has been released after serving his five-day sentence but Konstantin Kosyakin and Eduard Limonov are serving 10- and 15-day sentences, respectively.
Protests were to take place on Saturday outside the detention center and in front of the mayor's office in downtown Moscow. Dozens of activists have been detained over the protests. Police typically release them after a couple of hours in custody, but an opposition spokeswoman said at least one faced charges. Two activists who unfurled a banner on Red Square were released on Saturday after serving two-day sentences, Ekho Moskvy reported.
A leader of the Left Front opposition group told the radio station that there could be a large demonstration on January 15 when Nemtsov and Limonov are released. Sergei Udaltsov said the opposition was trying to reach an agreement with the Moscow authorities over the rally.
Two protest rallies - one sanctioned and one not - were held at the Moscow's central Triumfalnaya Square on December 31. Police said Nemtsov was arrested after attempting to cross from the sanctioned protest to the unsanctioned one. Nemtsov's supporters say he went quietly when he was arrested and was innocent of the charge of disobeying police instructions.
His detention has been criticized by the United States and other Western countries.
MOSCOW, January 8 (RIA Novosti)
