(Reuters) – Dozens of people were detained by police in central Moscow on Saturday at a rally protesting against Russia’s mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine, a human rights group said.
At least 27 people were detained as a group representing the wives of mobilised soldiers gathered at the Kremlin wall to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument, said OVD-Info, which reports on freedom of assembly in Russia.
Most of the detained were journalists, it added, saying later that some of the people were let go.
A number of people were also detained at other locations in central Moscow, OVD-Info said.
A growing movement of Russian women is demanding the return from the front of their husbands, sons and brothers who were mobilised after a decree by President Vladimir Putin in September last year.
The Moscow prosecutor’s office said that the rally hadn’t been coordinated with the authorities, issuing a warning about calling and participating in unauthorised mass events.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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