The US has condemned the arrest of hundreds of peaceful Russian protesters, including top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, in Moscow, describing it as an “affront” to core democratic values.
“The United States strongly condemns the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters throughout Russia on Sunday,” State Department’s Acting Spokesman Mark Toner, said.
“Detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers, and journalists is an affront to core democratic values. We were troubled to hear of the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny upon arrival at the demonstration, as well as the police raids on the anti-corruption organisation he heads,” the State Department wrote in a tweet. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a statement said, “strongly condemn the arrest of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators” in Moscow and across Russia.