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Russia election: Protest leaders arrested in Moscow Russia election: Police arrest 550 at city protests
(40 minutes later)
Police in Moscow have arrested protest leaders Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov after a rally against Vladimir Putin's election as president. Police in Russia have made 550 arrests after protests against Vladimir Putin's election as president, with protest leader Alexei Navalny among those held.
Reasons for the arrests were not given but police were clearing a square where the two men had addressed a rally. They detained 300 people in central St Petersburg out of a crowd of about 800 protesters, according to local police.
At least 120 arrests were made in Moscow and St Petersburg on a day of rallies for and against Mr Putin. A further 250 were detained in the capital Moscow, including Mr Navalny, who says he expects to be freed.
Foreign states have accepted he won on Sunday but observers said the poll had been skewed in his favour. Foreign states have accepted Mr Putin won on Sunday but observers said the poll had been skewed in his favour.
Mr Navalny, who blogs about corruption in Russia, has been sending updates on his own arrest via Twitter. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has phoned Mr Putin to say he is looking forward to working with him to "overcome the obstacles in the relationship between Britain and Russia and build deeper political and trade links", a statement from Downing Street said.
The US and the EU have asked the Russian government to investigate the allegations of irregularities.
Tweeting from custody
Mr Navalny, a lawyer who blogs about corruption in Russia, said in a message via Twitter that he was being charged with an administrative offence and expected to be freed again shortly.
He seemed to be in good form, and said he was being allowed to see his lawyer and watch his own arrest on TV.
Earlier, Mr Navalny and Mr Udaltsov both addressed a crowd of between 14,000 and 20,000 people on Moscow's Pushkin Square.
First placed in a police van with other activists, he was later transferred to a police car on his own, he said. Mr Navalny said "swindlers and thieves" ruled Russia and only they, the protesters, could stop them.
Mr Navalny said he did not know where he was being taken. It is believed that Mr Udaltsov had refused to leave the square after the rally and riot police began to clear the area.
Russian media reported the arrest of Mr Udaltsov and other opposition figures.
It is believed Mr Udaltsov had refused to leave Moscow's Pushkin Square after the rally there.
Mr Navalny had told opposition supporters that "swindlers and thieves" ruled Russia and only they, the protesters, could stop them.
Both men have been previously arrested for their opposition activities.Both men have been previously arrested for their opposition activities.
A parallel rally in support of Mr Putin was held on Moscow's Manege Square, beside the Kremlin, with reports of about 14,000 people attending.
Andrei Isayev, a senior official in the ruling United Russia party, began the rally with the slogan "Russia, Putin, victory", chanted back by the crowd.
'Carousel voting''Carousel voting'
Amid claims of widespread fraud in Sunday's presidential election, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) urged Russia to carry out a thorough investigation.Amid claims of widespread fraud in Sunday's presidential election, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) urged Russia to carry out a thorough investigation.
Mr Putin's top officials do not accept that he has been damaged in any way by the allegations of fraud. All the same, things are changing fast in Russia.Mr Putin's top officials do not accept that he has been damaged in any way by the allegations of fraud. All the same, things are changing fast in Russia.
Mr Putin will blame Western interference for the protests but that is a strategy which has diminishing results. His main spokesman told me Mr Putin was really a liberal and was changing as Russia changed.Mr Putin will blame Western interference for the protests but that is a strategy which has diminishing results. His main spokesman told me Mr Putin was really a liberal and was changing as Russia changed.
But that is unlikely to make Mr Putin easier for Western governments to deal with and British officials in particular think he may, if anything, be more difficult and more touchy especially if the protests continue rather than fade away.But that is unlikely to make Mr Putin easier for Western governments to deal with and British officials in particular think he may, if anything, be more difficult and more touchy especially if the protests continue rather than fade away.
Will Mr Putin last out his six-year term? A surprising number of political observers think he will not and it is very hard indeed to think he will get another term after this one.Will Mr Putin last out his six-year term? A surprising number of political observers think he will not and it is very hard indeed to think he will get another term after this one.
In a statement on the OSCE website, monitors said that while all candidates had been able to campaign freely, there had been "serious problems" from the start. In a statement monitors said that while all candidates had been able to campaign freely, there had been "serious problems" from the start.
"The point of elections is that the outcome should be uncertain," said Tonino Picula, co-ordinator of the OSCE mission."The point of elections is that the outcome should be uncertain," said Tonino Picula, co-ordinator of the OSCE mission.
"This was not the case in Russia. There was no real competition and abuse of government resources ensured that the ultimate winner of the election was never in doubt.""This was not the case in Russia. There was no real competition and abuse of government resources ensured that the ultimate winner of the election was never in doubt."
Earlier Golos, a leading Russian independent election watchdog, said it had received more than 3,000 reports of voting fraud.Earlier Golos, a leading Russian independent election watchdog, said it had received more than 3,000 reports of voting fraud.
The watchdog said its own exit polls suggested Mr Putin had actually won just over 50% of the vote - a result that would still have elected him in the first round.The watchdog said its own exit polls suggested Mr Putin had actually won just over 50% of the vote - a result that would still have elected him in the first round.
State TV exit polls had given him about 59% of the vote.State TV exit polls had given him about 59% of the vote.
Other allegations, including videos purporting to show evidence of voting irregularities, have been circulating online.Other allegations, including videos purporting to show evidence of voting irregularities, have been circulating online.
There were reports of "carousel voting", with voters being bussed between polling stations to cast multiple ballots, and of people being paid to vote for Mr Putin.There were reports of "carousel voting", with voters being bussed between polling stations to cast multiple ballots, and of people being paid to vote for Mr Putin.
In other developments Mr Putin has served two previous terms as president, from 2000 to 2008.
  • The UK acknowledged the Russian presidential election had delivered "a decisive result" in favour of Vladimir Putin despite "some problems"
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  • French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said: "Despite some criticism... the re-election of President Putin is not in doubt"
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  • EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton urged Russia to address "shortcomings" over the vote, a spokeswoman said
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  • Russian police detained a man allegedly planning to set off bombs at Moscow rallies on Monday and Tuesday
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  • Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a legal review of the conviction of former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky
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He moved into the post of prime minister in 2008 because of a constitutional ban on a third consecutive term as president.
Mr Putin moved into the post of prime minister in 2008 because of a constitutional ban on a third consecutive term as president.
He will return to the presidency in May - replacing his close ally Dmitry Medvedev - and remain in post until 2018, when he could then run for another six-year term.He will return to the presidency in May - replacing his close ally Dmitry Medvedev - and remain in post until 2018, when he could then run for another six-year term.