Amnesty International calls for the authorities of the Russian Federation to release those discontented at the results of the election

Human rights organization Amnesty International called for the Russian authorities to release the participants of the action of protest detained on December, 5, after the election of State Duma of the Russian Federation. Members of Amnesty International emphasize that the majority of the detainees were just peacefully expressing their protest.

Yashin and Navalny are among those detained

According to law enforcement bodies, all in all 300 persons considering that the election passed with violations were detained during the meeting in the center of the Russian capital on December, 5.

"After the end of the mass action in Chistoprudny boulevard sanctioned by the authorities in which about two thousand people took part, the police personnel warned the participants that they had to break up, however several tens citizens put up active resistance to the police, made an attempt of breakthrough and tied to block motor traffic", web-site of Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Moscow reports.

Lawyer Alexey Navalny, blogger Ilia Varlamov, politician Ilia Yashin, journalist Ilia Vasiunin and other participants were among those detained.

The action in Chistoprudny boulevard, according to its organizers, became the most mass one during the past several months. There is no exact data on the number of participants but the bloggers state that up to 10 000 people gathered at the meeting, "Forbes.ru" reports.

Amnesty International: the detainees are prisoners of conscience

International human rights organization Amnesty International called for the Russian authorities to release the detained participants of peaceful actions of protest against violations at the election.

"These disgraceful arrests once again demonstrate the Russian Government's disrespect for the citizens' right of freedom of expression of opinion and freedom of assembly", Nicola Duckworth, Director of Amnesty International for Europe and Central Asia, declared.

The majority of the detained were just peacefully expressing their protest, she added. "They are prisoners of conscience and must be immediately released", the statement of the organization runs.

According to Nicola Duckworth, representatives of Amnesty International saw the police detaining citizens in the streets without the slightest provocation of them. Besides, some of the persons taken to police departments "did not even take part in the actions of protest and were seized just in case", the "Deutsche Welle" reports.

Medvedev: the election was honest and fair

In the opinion of the Russian authorities, the election of State Duma was honest and fair, no administrative resources were used.

"The present election evidently fundamentally differed from the ones we have had before, for various reasons. I can only share my opinion: "United Russia" received just as much support as it has, neither more nor less. In this respect, it has been an honest, fair and democratic election", RIA "Novosti" quotes President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.