https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/01/russia-appalling-use-of-force-and-arrests-of-peaceful-protesters/ Skip To Main Content Amnesty International Amnesty International Menu Main menu Main menu CLOSE * Who We Are + How we're run + Jobs & internships * What We Do * Countries * Get Involved + Take Action + Join + Volunteer * Donate now * Latest + News + Campaigns + Education + Research + Impact en Choose language * francais * espanol * l`rby@ Search [6b4946dc-0] * News @avtozaklive/Telegram * News * Russian Federation * Unlawful Detention * SHARE * Facebook * Twitter Russia: Appalling use of force and arrests of peaceful protesters 31 January 2021, 19:03 UTC All peaceful protesters detained today in Moscow and other Russian cities must be released immediately and unconditionally, and all instances of unlawful use of force by police promptly and effectively investigated, Amnesty International said. Today's arrests and violent dispersals were the latest crackdown by Russian authorities on overwhelmingly peaceful protesters demanding the release of Aleksei Navalny. "Russian authorities have arrested so many people in recent weeks that detention centres in Moscow have run out of space, and peaceful protesters are being held in deportation facilities. Trying to lock up every critic in the country is a losing game - the Russian authorities should instead recognize how much the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression mean to a growing number of Russians, and allow people to express their opinions without fear of retaliation. Russian authorities have arrested so many people in recent weeks that detention centres in Moscow have run out of space, and peaceful protesters are being held in deportation facilities Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International's Moscow Office Director "The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters' calls for freedom and change. This is a desperate attempt to silence criticism, and it needs to stop," said Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International's Moscow Office Director. "All peaceful protesters and activists detained for peacefully participating in protests are prisoners of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally. Police must stop using unlawful force and instead uphold their obligation to protect the human rights of Russian people." Police must stop using unlawful force and instead uphold their obligation to protect the human rights of Russian people Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International's Moscow Office Director Background On 31 January, at least 4,000 peaceful protesters were detained in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other Russian cities, during brutal dispersals of rallies demanding the release of Aleksei Navalny, a popular opposition figure and prisoner of conscience. This takes the number of people detained for protesting in the past week to more than 8,000. The number of detainees put under "administrative arrest" in Moscow during previous wave of protests on 23 January was so high that the detention centres became overcrowded and more than 100 detainees were placed in temporary detention facilities where foreign nationals awaiting deportation are held. In the lead-up to this latest day of protest, the authorities have arrested dozens of leading opposition activists and associates of Aleksei Navalny from the Anti-Corruption Foundation, on numerous spurious criminal and administrative charges. Aleksei Navalny's brother Oleg, the Anti-Corruption Foundation lawyer Lyubov Sobol, the head of Navalny's headquarters in Moscow Oleg Stepanov, Pussy Riot punk band member Maria Alyokhina and the leader of Alliance of Doctors union Anastasia Vasilyeva will remain in detention at least until 23 March after being charged with violation of sanitary and epidemiological standards under Article 236 of Russia's Criminal Code. * Russia: Vicious government campaign to crush political opposition ahead of Sunday protests * Russia: Scores of activists arrested for protesting the detention of Aleksei Navalny must be released * Russia: Authorities use farcical surprise "hearing" to keep Aleksei Navalny behind bars Topics * Russian Federation * Unlawful Detention * Detention * Prisoners of Conscience * Human Rights Defenders and Activists * Censorship and Freedom of Expression * Demonstrations Recently Added * + News Angola: Shooting spree by security forces kills at least 10 protesters * + News Russia: Aleksei Navalny given prison term while mass detention of his supporters leads to severe overcrowding and cruel and inhuman detention conditions * + News South Sudan: Rampant abusive surveillance by NSS instils climate of fear Related content [269706] * Country profile Russian Federation [twitter-10] * Story Stand with Belarus [angola] * News Angola: Shooting spree by security forces kills at least 10 protesters [274527-2] * News South Sudan: Rampant abusive surveillance by NSS instils climate of fear * Research South Sudan: "These walls have ears": The chilling effect of surveillance in South Sudan View All * ABOUT US + Contact Us + How We're Run + Modern Slavery Act Statement + Finances and Pay + Structure and People * RESOURCES + Media Centre + Wire Magazine + Human Rights Education + Human Rights Courses * GET INVOLVED + Join + Take Action + Volunteer * LATEST + News + Campaigns + Research * WORK WITH US + If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. 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