Alexey Sarkar, an official in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the case is “part of a new wave of persecution against activists by the regime.”
“This is not just about Mr. Gavrilov; it is happening everywhere,” Sarkar told The Associated Press.
Olympic athletes from around the world are due to hit the streets in full force in less than a week as they prepare to compete at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Security is expected on the streets, and there’s concern as well the athletes’ activities could affect the weather and jeopardize Russia’s track and field competitions.
The government has stepped up its crackdown on opposition figures and the rights of minorities — particularly ethnic Chechens — in the wake of the uprising in neighboring neighboring Ukraine where pro-Moscow rebels have sought to topple the government and create a pro-Russian state.
The Kremlin has denied accusations that it orchestrated the uprising and maintains that it was instigated by protesters in Moscow and other Russian towns.
The opposition accuses the government of staging a coup last summer that ousted President Dmitry Medvedev and installed a Moscow-friendly council.
On Saturday, authorities detained five people who have been supporting the campaign of Gavryhkoi, as well as six opposition activists. One of the detained activists, Anastasia Makarova, an activist for the anti-corruption NGO Right Cause, was charged with “participation in illegal rallies” for helping some of the detained activists.
There were no immediate details on the charges against them, or further details on the activists detained, but several activists described being handcuffed by police.
Many opposition activists, including Dmitry Gavrilov and Dmitry Zhuravlev, have taken to the street in recent weeks — including in opposition strongholds such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, where opposition leaders held rallies this week — calling for greater transparency in the Kremlin, and more access for the public to information from state-run media.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, an opposition politician and prime minister’s political rival who has been imprisoned several times for his political beliefs, visited the detention site on Saturday in Tatarstan, a predominantly Muslim region that supports the Kremlin.
The detention site is located in the town of Shcherbak, on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, officials said at the scene.
After a brief appearance at the