Journalists among 27 detained during Moscow rally held by soldiers' wives protesting against Putin's war
11:48 AM EST, February 3, 2024, updated: 4:23 AM EST, March 7, 2024
The demonstration was orchestrated by an association named "Road to Home," which is a group made up of soldiers' wives whose husbands have been called to war by the Putin regime. Demonstrations cyclically take place every Saturday; this was the ninth one in sequence.
Follow the live coverage of the war in Ukraine by Virtual Poland.
The recent Saturday rally marked the 500th day of mobilization in Russia. Demonstrators assembled at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden, located behind the Kremlin walls, and laid flowers in front of the Eternal Flame. The action saw participation from around 200 people who rallied via the "Road to Home" channel on Telegram.
Before the rally, the Moscow prosecutor's office warned about the consequences of calling for participation in "unsanctioned mass events".
Police arrested numerous journalists, including foreign correspondents
Meduza, an independent Russian portal, featured photos and short films that depicted police officers escorting men with vests labeled "Press" to police cars in the vicinity of the Kremlin on Manezh Square. According to the SOTA channel on Telegram, "Almost all male journalists were detained".
The detained individuals included employees from foreign media outlets such as Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Dutch public media NOS, and German weekly "Der Spiegel", as reported by AFP. According to Radio Freedom, the police detained everyone who was photographing or recording the event.
Demand for the return of their husbands
"Human Rights" activists were also escorted into police cars. They were taken to a police station in the historical district of Moscow, Kitay-gorod. According to reports from Meduza, all the detainees were quickly released.
Observers mentioned that seven other journalists who were covering the rally near Putin's election headquarters were also arrested. They were transferred to a precinct in the Basmanny district.
The "Road to Home" association calls on Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a decree that would end the mobilization, as mentioned by Meduza.
