Kasparov detained at anti-Putin rally in Moscow

Moscow, Apr 14 (UNI) World chess champion and leader of the opposition United Civil Front, Garry Kasparov, a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, was arrested at a protest rally today near Pushkin Square in city's centre.

"Garry Kimovich Kasparov has been detained for committing glaringly provocative actions," Moscow city police spokesman Viktor Biryukov told Interfax news agency.

"Knowing that a rally on Pushkin Square was banned, he came to the square surrounded by his supporters and started to provoke policemen into taking tough measures. In this situation, there was no choice but to detain him and take to a police station to be subjected to precautionary measures," Biryukov said.

Moscow police detained about 170 people who were attempting to hold an unsanctioned rally from Pushkin Square, he said.

A ''March of Dissent'' was organised rallying the supporters and members of ''the Other Russia'' that includes the People's Patriotic Union led by former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, the banned National Bolshevik Party, the United Civil Front led by Kasparov and the Republican Party.

Over 9,000 OMON special riot policemen were deployed to provide security in the Russian capital.

Russian human rights activists qualified as absolutely unlawful the detention of Kasparov and the leaders of opposition youth organizations who attempted to take part in the rally.

"Certainly, this is a gross violation of human rights," Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, told Interfax.

"This violates the constitution, under which Russian citizens have the right to hold rallies and demonstrations," Alexeyeva said.

She also claimed that hundreds of people trying to join the March were detained at Pushkin Square.

Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov said the Moscow government allowed various rallies both in support of the government and protests, but it will not allow violations of the constitution in the city.

UNI