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Russian opposition protestors taken into custody in Moscow
Jan 1, 2010, 12:12 GMT
Moscow - Moscow police took into custody around 50 participants in an unauthorized protest by Kremlin opponents over night, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.
Among those taken into custody was the so-called 'grande dame' of the Russian human rights movement, 82-year-old Lyudmilla Alexeyeva of Moscow's Helsinki Group.
Alexeyeva, a recent recipient of the European Union's Sakharov Prize for human rights, complained of receiving rough treatment from security personnel.
A Moscow police spokesman said Friday that it was unclear whether Alexeyeva actually was taken into custody or travelled to the police station with other government opponents 'out of solidarity.'
According to police, all the protestors were released over night.
The demonstrators gathered near the Moscow city centre to demand greater freedom and the upholding of the constitution, when police intervened.
Russia's opposition - which has no parliamentary representation - as well as Western human rights organizations have complained that despite promises from President Dmitry Medvedev, a democratization of the country is not in sight and public gatherings have been strictly forbidden.
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