Police in Moscow and St Petersburg have detained about 50 people taking part in unauthorised demonstrations against a criminal case filed against 10 young Russians for allegedly taking part in an extremist group which aimed to overthrow the government.
Lawyers for the 10 suspects who were arrested in March say undercover police fabricated the case, writing the group’s radical programme and encouraging members to take shooting practice.
Four of those charged have been jailed, with the others under house arrest.
The case has been widely criticised as a glaring example of official abuse of Russia’s law on extremism.
