We are deeply disturbed by the large number of people who have reportedly been arrested in the Russian Federation for protesting after the authorities announced a partial mobilization of troops in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine.
As of 26 September, according to credible reports, some 2,377 demonstrators had been arrested since last Wednesday in various locations across the country. It is unclear how many people remain in detention.
In the Russian region of Dagestan, protests continued for a second day on Monday with hundreds of people taking to the streets of the capital, Makhachkala, where clashes erupted between demonstrators and the police. Dozens of people were reported to have been arrested.
While the majority of the protests are reported to have been peaceful, military and administrative buildings, including enlistment offices, have been attacked in several regions.
We stress that arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty. We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for the authorities to abide by their international obligations to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.
We also urge people to protest peacefully and avoid resorting to violence.
