- Title: RUSSIA: Opposition Liberal leader arrested during anti-Putin rally
- Date: 26th November 2007
- Summary: (EU) ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 25, 2007) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) UNION OF RIGHT-WING FORCES (SPS) PARTY BORIS NEMTSOV TALKING TO JOURNALISTS RIOT POLICEMEN GETTING INTO CROWD AND DETAINING BORIS NEMTSOV VARIOUS OF NEMTSOV BEING TAKEN TOWARDS POLICE WAGON/ SUPPORTERS CHANTING
- Embargoed: 11th December 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7BD774R6MSAEOTA4E1F35OLQ9
- Story Text: Russian police in St Petersburg detain opposition Liberal Party leader Boris Nemtsov during crackdown on anti-Putin rallies in St Petersburg.
Leaders of the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) party, Russia's liberal opposition party, were among an estimated 200 protesters arrested during a march in St Petersburg on Sunday (November 25).
Boris Nemtsov and Nikita Belykh, who are standing as SPS candidates in December 2 elections to parliament, were detained while attending the rally against President Vladimir Putin outside the Winter Palace in Russia's second city.
They were stopped by police as they left the offices of the liberal Yabloko party.
Putin's opponents planned a march through the centre of St Petersburg on Sunday, but the authorities refused permission and streets were blocked by riot police.
The march had been organised by Other Russia, a wide movement of Kremlin opponents, including free-market parties Yabloko and SPS.
Other Russia activists accuse Putin of cracking down on the freedoms won after the fall of the Soviet Union and of creating what they say is an unstable political system dependent on Putin alone.
Putin has vowed to step down as president next year after his second consecutive four-year term in office.
But he has said he will use the United Russia party to preserve influence after he steps down. He is running for the party in the December election.
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