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According to the human rights group, Russian authorities arrested more than 5,000 anti-war demonstrators in cities across Russia in one day.
OVD-Info, an independent human rights project focused on political persecution in Russia, estimated that about 5,138 people were arrested on Sunday in 72 Russian cities as protests against the invasion of Ukraine swept the country.
This figure represents the most arrests in a single day since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. A total of 13,508 people have been arrested since the invasion, according to OVD-Info.
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At least 2,426 people were reportedly arrested in Moscow alone on Sunday, with at least 21 protesters detained overnight.
According to the Voice of America, the demonstrators face jail terms for participating in the protests.
Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Friday called for protests on his blog, urging Russians not to fear a crackdown on such demonstrations.
“Show the world that the Russians do not want war. Get off at the square in Berlin, New York, Amsterdam or Melbourne, wherever you are. Now we are all responsible for the future of Russia. For what Russia will be in the eyes of the world,” he said in his post, according to Reuters.
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“You may be scared, but to submit to this fear means to take the side of the fascists and murderers. Putin has already taken away from Russia its economy, relations with the world and hope for the future,” Navalny said.