Alexeeva Outraged at Detention of Khodorkovsky Supporters
Lyudmila Alexeeva, one of Russia's leading human rights activists, visited the detained supporters of Mikhail Khodorkovsky in jail following a June 26th protest.
Alexeeva said: "Eleven people were detained only for walking up Arbat Street in T-shirts on which the word 'Khodorkovsky' was written. I came to the police station to look into this situation. If I wear a T-shirt saying 'Khodorkovsky' and walk up the street, will I be detained, too?"
She added: "I phoned the Moscow prosecutor on duty from the police station. He told me that he had given instructions to see how legitimately police acted in detaining the young people and promised that they would all be released within three hours. I asked him: Does this mean that anybody can be detained for three hours? This is a gross violation of human rights."
It was also reported that about 15 Solidarity activists had been detained near the Teatralnaya subway station attempting to stage a similar demonstration in support for Khodorkovsky on his birthday.