Hundreds of anti-corruption protesters, including Russia's main opposition leader Alexei Navalny, were detained in central Moscow on Sunday.
The protesters took to streets in the Russian capital on March 26, calling for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's resignation over corruption allegations.
Vladimir Putin critic and presidential rival Alexei Navalny attacked with green liquid
Reports state that at least 500 protesters were arrested in the capital and in other regions across the country. Soon after the opposition leader's detention, Navalny wrote a tweet urging demonstrators across the country to continue with the protests.
"Guys, I'm fine. No need to fight to get me out. Walk along Tverskaya (Moscow main street). Our topic of the day is the fight against corruption," Navalny tweeted (in Russian).
Navalny, a lawyer, anti-corruption blogger and chief of Russia's Progress Party, had called on nationwide protests after he published reports claiming Medvedev's involvement in corruption. The opposition leader stated that the Russian Prime Minister controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards — a fortune that far outstripped his official salary, according to BBC.
The Prime Minister's spokesperson however rejected the allegations and called them "propagandist attacks." Medvedev himself has not made any comments on Navalny's allegations.
Anti-corruption protesters gathered at Pushkin square, while some of them climbed poet Alexander Pushkin's monument shouting "impeachment." Police reports state that the protesters' turnout was estimated to be around 7,000 to 8,000, the country's biggest protest in years.
Нашли кого задерживать. pic.twitter.com/Y83EkubfPx
— Аня Литвиненко (@Litvinenko_aa1) March 26, 2017
Although the police said that around 500 protesters were arrested in Moscow alone, a rights group OVD Info said that at least 700 of the demonstrators were detained. According to reports on social media, many of the protesters arrested were teenagers.
The Kremlin has not made any comment on the anti-corruption protests against the Russian Prime Minister yet.
