Russian opposition activists detained at a democratic forum in Moscow. The Kremlin says they were breaking Covid-19 protocol

“A very symbolic end to a short forum: deputies in police vans, and masked police are twisting people’s arms,” Yashin said on Facebook.

“But nobody promised us the freedom on a silver platter. Russia will be free anyway,” he added.

Yashin also posted images on Twitter of the moment he was taken away from the forum by police and from inside the police van.

Anastasia Burakova, a coordinator of United Democrats told Russian state media RIA Novosti that the forum was held at the Izmailovo Delta Hotel, where municipal deputies from all over Russia gathered to discuss the strategy for the next electoral cycle and share their experiences with each other.

“Everyone was detained who took part both as a listener and as a speaker. No reason was given,” Burakova told RIA Novosti.

In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said that around 200 people had been detained, citing a breach of coronavirus restrictions.

“In one of the hotel premises in Izmailovsky Highway, a group of residents, representatives of a public organization, made an attempt to hold a public event in violation of the established sanitary and epidemiological requirements — a considerable part of the participants did not have personal protective facilities,” the Interior Ministry statement said.

The statement added that “besides, members of an organization whose activities are recognized as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation were identified among the participants,” and that police stopped the “illegal actions.”

Prominent activist and Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara Murza — a longtime colleague and friend of assassinated opposition figure Boris Nemtsov — was listed among those detained.

OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said at least 180 people had been detained.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that “checks are being conducted” on the activists detained on Saturday, and that “a decision will be undertaken in compliance with the law.”