Over 30 detained by police at Moscow opposition protest

WION Web Team

Moscow, RussiaUpdated: May 29, 2020, 10:19 PM IST

Police officers detain Russian photographer Victoria Ivleva (C) during a solo picket in support of journalist and activist Ilya Azar outside the Moscow police headquarters in Moscow Photograph:(AFP)

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The new arrests came despite warnings from rights organisations such as Amnesty International and the Council of Europe that Moscow should not be using the coronavirus lockdown as a pretext to muzzle activists.

Russian police arrested more than 30 people in central Moscow on Friday on the second day that peaceful opposition protesters were detained during a city-wide lockdown.

Also read: Russia records highest coronavirus death toll in 24 hours

At least 35 people including popular journalists and municipal lawmakers were detained near the Moscow police headquarters, said OVD-Info, a website which tracks detentions at political protests.

Municipal deputy Yulia Galyamina posted on Facebook a picture of herself at a police station with the word "Freedom" scribbled on her surgical mask.

Since Thursday, protesters have been staging one-person pickets outside the Moscow police headquarters in response to the sentencing of prominent opposition activist and journalist Ilya Azar to 15 days in jail.