Soldiers' wives and journalists detained during Moscow protest against Russian mobilisation
The association "Road to Home", an organisation made up of the wives of soldiers deployed by Putin's regime, held the demonstration. The gatherings occur cyclically each Saturday; the recent demonstration being the ninth consecutive.
Follow live coverage of the Ukrainian war on Virtual Poland
Organised to mark the 500th day of Russian mobilisation, the Saturday rally occurred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden, located behind the Kremlin walls, where the demonstrators laid flowers in front of the Eternal Flame. Approximately 200 people participated in the action following a rally call on the "Road to Home" Telegram channel.
The Moscow prosecutor's office cautioned about legal consequences for promoting involvement in "unauthorised mass events" before the rally.
Several journalists, among them foreign correspondents, were detained by the officers
Photographs and video clips showcased by the independent Russian portal, Meduza, revealed that police officers escorted men wearing vests that said "Press" near the Kremlin on Manezh Square to police vehicles. The SOTA Telegram channel reported that "nearly all male journalists were detained".
Detainees included employees of foreign media outlets like Agence France-Presse and Associated Press, Dutch public media NOS, and German weekly "Der Spiegel", as reported by AFP. According to Radio Freedom, law enforcement officers detained anyone photographing or recording the event.
The wives are calling for the safe return of their husbands
Activists from "Human Rights" were likewise escorted into police vehicles. They were later taken to a police station in the historical Moscow district, Kitay-gorod. Meduza reported that all the detainees were subsequently released.
There are reports that seven other journalists covering the rally near Vladimir Putin's election headquarters were arrested, too. They were later moved to a precinct in the Basmanny district.
The "Road to Home" association is urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a directive to cease mobilisation, as reminded by Meduza.
