Russian authorities yesterday sought to crush a new protest wave, arresting more than 400 people at a Moscow march, a day after police suddenly dropped trumped-up drugs charges against a respected journalist.
Among those detained on Russia Day, a public holiday, were opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces up to 30 days in jail, teenagers and Russian and foreign journalists.
As police beat up the protesters and even detained random passers-by, President Vladimir Putin congratulated the nation, saying he would do everything to promote the country’s “further prosperity and development.”
Many Russians had hoped to harness the widespread outrage over last week’s arrest …read more
Source: Gulf times
