Russia has seen the eruption of protests and it has led to the detention of thousands of people. Around 1700 people were detained only in Moscow, as per the reports of Ria news agency obtained from the interior ministry.
According to the OVD-Info civil liberties organization, 53 cities were targeted. Protests have grown increasingly limited in recent years, yet numerous protests have occurred throughout Russia since the invasion.
More than 10,000 people have been arrested during the last 11 days at demonstrations, according to OVD-Info.
“The screws are being totally tightened – effectively we’re seeing military censorship,” Maria Kuznetsova, OVD-Info’s spokeswoman, said to Reuters from Tbilisi in Georgia.
On Monday, government critic Alexei Navalny – who is incarcerated on fraud allegations – called for mass protests against the invasion, stating that Russia should not be a “nation of frightened cowards.”
However, several new laws have made it more difficult to protest in Russia in recent years, according to human rights organizations.
Although the Russian legislation does not use words like “permit” or “ban,” it effectively forces organizers to obtain permission for their gatherings, according to Amnesty International.
According to Russian human rights organization OVD-Info, which was founded in 2011, more than 2,500 people were arrested throughout the country on Sunday.
In the case of protestors, it publishes the names and addresses of those detained, as well as overall numbers.
Protests against election results have taken place in countries all around the world on Sunday. In Almaty, Kazakhstan’s capital and a Kremlin ally, a peace rally was permitted, with about 2,000 people in attendance.
In other countries, anti-war demonstrators also gathered in cities including Brussels and London.
In Ukraine, Russian troops stationed in the southern city of Nova-Kakhovka fired on protestors in an effort to disperse them.
Among the noise of gunfire and stun grenades, protesters are seen shouting, “The Russians must leave!” in a video from the city, which is located in Kherson Oblast. The protesters appear to be standing their ground.
At least five people were hurt in the attack, according to one source.