Moscow police have released all but four of the more than 500 people who were detained during Wednesday's protest in support of freed journalist Ivan Golunov.
At least 549 people were detained in central Moscow at the protest, the OVD-Info police-monitoring website reported. The unauthorized march had originally been scheduled in support of Golunov, who was detained on drug charges late last week but was released on Tuesday over a lack of evidence.
Four protesters were held in administrative detention overnight, Interfax quoted the Moscow police press service as saying.
Several journalists and opposition figures were detained and later released on Wednesday, including protest organizers Yevgeny Berg, Ilya Azar and Elizaveta Nesterova and opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
More than 1,000 people attended the protest, organizers said.
Update: The protesters who had been held overnight have been released, OVD-Info reported Thursday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
