Russia: arrest of more than 1,000 protesters against the intervention in Ukraine

Europe 1 with AFP 2:52 p.m., March 6, 2022

At least 1,100 people demonstrating against the military intervention in Ukraine were arrested on Sunday in around 30 cities in Russia, said the NGO OVD-Info, which specializes in monitoring demonstrations.

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10,000 arrests since February 24

According to this source, nearly 10,000 demonstrators have been arrested in the country since February 24, the date of the start of military operations.

Despite intimidation from the authorities and the threat of prison sentences, protest actions, albeit limited, have taken place every day for 10 days in different cities of the country.

Imprisoned opponent Alexei Navalny, a staunch opponent of the conflict, this week called on Russians to meet every day in their city's main square to demand peace in Ukraine.

Sunday, the first arrests took place, time difference obliges, in the Far East and in Siberia.

According to

, more than 200 people were arrested in particular in the major cities of Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg.

Actions are also underway in Moscow, where police have been deployed in the center.

The human rights NGO Memorial said that one of its leaders, Oleg Orlov, had been arrested on Manège Square, next to the Kremlin.

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A new law against "false information" 

One of the central squares of Saint Petersburg (north) was cordoned off by the police, who were making arrests.

To deter any criticism of the conflict, the Russian authorities adopted on Friday at a run a new law repressing "false information" on the activities of the Russian army in Ukraine.

According to this text, the penalties incurred range from fines to 15 years in prison.

Russian and foreign media announced in the wake of suspending their activities in Russia.