RUSSIA: Russian police arrest chess champion Garry Kasparov in police crackdown over attempted protest by opponents of President Vladimir Putin

Russian police have detained Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and leader of the 'Other Russia' opposition coalition after political activists planned to gather near the Kremlin to protest at what they say is Putin's trampling of democratic freedoms and demand a fair vote to choose a new president in 2008. Kasparov was taken to court in central Moscow and charged with shouting anti-government slogans. Former World Chess champion Garry Kasparov, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and leader of opposition party the 'Other Russia', was arrested and taken to court on saturday (April 14) when police cracked down on an anti-Kremlin march in a Moscow square. Russian police detained at least 170 people as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin. Kasparov was arrested as soon as he arrived at the square and charged with shouting anti-government slogans. "Today is an important milestone in the development, or in fact, the degradation of Putin's regime, because every letter of the law was violated. Not even at the time of the rally, but even beforehand when many people, including myself, where voluntarily arrested, while committing no crimes of course. There was not even any action. Now this court is looking at this matter, but one of the things that is obvious (is) that the report from the police stated that I and many others were arrested at half past one, while I was arrested at 1205, and everybody, everybody saw it. So, it is a lie from the very beginning and this regime showed its true colours and its true face. But now I have to rush back, because otherwise I will be arrested for violation of the court order. Thanks," the former chess grandmaster and one of the leaders of the Other Russia said during the adjournment of the court. Teams of riot police, acting on a ruling from the city authorities banning the protest, pounced on protesters as they appeared in small groups near the square and swiftly loaded them into buses, Reuters witnesses said. The protesters have marginal influence in Russia. The vast majority of voters back Putin, who has overseen rising incomes and political stability. Kremlin loyalists say the protesters are dangerous extremists plotting a revolution. The protest came a day after Russian multi-millionaire Boris Berezovsky said in a newspaper interview from his London base that he was fomenting revolution in Russia. The protest organisers distanced themselves from Berezovsky. Moscow police chief spokesman Viktor Biryukov said about 170 of the "most aggressive" protesters had been detained. Police said they had mobilised 9,000 officers around the centre of Moscow to keep order. Four Reuters journalists -- two photographers and two camera crew -- were detained as they covered the clashes. All four were later released without charge. Water-cannon trucks and at least a thousand police surrounded the square, in the shadow of a statue to poet Alexander Pushkin, where protesters had planned to congregate.

ITN Source | April 15, 2007

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