Russian opposition staked out

2008-05-07 10:23

Moscow - Police officers staked out a Moscow apartment where 17 opposition activists gathered before a Tuesday evening rally that officials have banned.

The activists, who belong to The Other Russia opposition group led by former chess champion Garry Kasparov, said police sitting on the staircase outside the apartment were attempting to prevent them from getting to the rally.

Police denied this, saying instead that they wanted to speak to the activists in connection with a body found earlier on Tuesday in the building's courtyard. They gave no further details about the body.

"That is a blatant lie," said one of the activists Dariya Dorokhina by telephone.

'A continuation of tactics'

Dorokhina said the "blockade" was a continuation of tactics employed before previous opposition rallies, when police waiting outside individuals' apartments would detain them when they stepped outside.

The activists aimed to avoid such detention this time by renting an apartment for the day as a gathering place.

"They just followed us all the way to this apartment," Dorokhina said.

'They had committed no crime'

The activists met at the apartment at around 08:00 and told police who came knocking an hour later that they would not open the door because they had committed no crime, she said.

Yevgeny Gildeyev, a spokesperson for Moscow police, accused the activists of "provoking" police.

"A group of young people waiting in the courtyard ran inside the house when they saw police officers approach," Gildeyev said.

"In line with normal procedures, police officers wanted to speak to all possible witnesses," he said.

The rally was part of a series of so-called Dissenters Marches held by Kasparov's coalition protesting Kremlin policies. The rallies were rarely sanctioned and frequently were broken up violently by baton-wielding riot police.

Tuesday's rally was to be held on the eve of President Vladimir Putin's departure from office and the inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev.

- AP