Journalists detained in Moscow during anti-war protests led by military wives

(CNN) — Several people, including journalists from foreign press organizations, have been detained in Moscow following authorities’ crackdown on protesters at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s election headquarters, independent media reported on Saturday.

The protest was organized by wives of men mobilizing amid a growing women’s movement demanding the return of their husbands and children home following fighting in Ukraine.

Video obtained by CNN shows Russian authorities detaining several people wearing “Press” vests near Red Square.

The demonstration, dubbed “500 days of mobilization”, reportedly took women to the Kremlin walls before moving to Putin’s nearby election headquarters. Russian independent news outlet SOTAvision posted on its Telegram channel that a correspondent saw security forces “snatching random people and only men from the crowd.”

At least 27 people, including just one protester, were taken in a police van to the Kitay-Gorod police station, where they are currently detained, according to OVD-Info, a group that tracks Russian repression. OVD-Info said a lawyer was sent to meet the detainees, but was refused permission.

Independent Russian media group Mediazona reported this Saturday that those detained included journalists working for Kommersant, France Presse and Spiegel, as well as human rights activists.

OVD-Info reported that seven other journalists covering the demonstration were taken to Basmani police station. Among them is Andrei Ziko, a representative of the Japanese television company “Fuji”, they report.

A state media employee has been released from Kitay-Gorod along with three minors, OVD-info reported on Telegram.

“Police officers told them that they planned to release the remaining federal and foreign media staff soon, but that they would leave the ‘foreign agent’ media representatives at the police station. All the detainees also had their phones confiscated. Snatched away.” ” They said.

Russia’s foreign agent law was expanded in late 2022 to include individuals or groups that “have received support and (or) are under foreign influence,” seeking to silence critics of its war against Ukraine, including journalists. The question was raised as a move by the Kremlin.