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Three opposition activists arrested in Moscow

Three opposition activists arrested in Moscow

Three prominent opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin have been detained for disturbing the peace, the Interfax news agency reported Saturday quoting the Russian Interior Ministry.

Alexey Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov and Ilya Yashin were detained while protesting against the torture of prisoners along with dozens of others in front of the country's secret police headquarters, DPA reported.

The unauthorized protest was spurred by the abduction a week ago Friday of Kremlin-opponent Leonid Razvozzhayev in the Ukraine. Razvozzhayev has accused the secret police of kidnapping and torturing him.

Razvozzhayev and Udaltsov have been charged by the government with a conspiracy to organize violent protests.

Human rights groups have criticized the latest arrests as a part of the repressive actions of the Kremlin against opponents.

Navalny is a lawyer and a vocal critic of corruption; Udaltsov leads the opposition Left Front movement; while Yashin has organized anti-Putin protests in the past.