By DPA
Moscow : The Russian opposition led by former chess world champion Garry Kasparov Monday announced it would stage protests against the “unfair parliamentary elections,” which were swept by President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.
The opposition was planning rallies in St Petersburg in the afternoon and in Moscow in the evening, radio Ekho Moskvy said, referring to the Other Russia alliance.
Dozens of Kremlin critics had been arrested during unlicensed rallies ahead of the elections. Kasparov spent five days in custody over violations against the right of assembly.
The government critics were planning to march to the Central Election Commission, Ekho Moskvy said. According to the radio, the opposition was planning a mourning ceremony with black clothes, candles and red carnations to point to the “final loss of political freedom.”
The Kremlin-allied United Russia party was the clear winner of Sunday’s elections gaining 300 out of 450 seats in the Duma.