Over 75 people detained throughout Russia amid ‘Noon Against Putin’ election protest

More than 75 people in 17 Russian cities have been detained at polling stations on the country’s final day of voting for president, the human rights media project OVD-Info reports.

The highest numbers of detentions have been reported in Kazan (at least 29 people) and Moscow (at least 19 people). At least seven detentions were reported in St. Petersburg.

In the lead-up to the elections, numerous Russian opposition figures called on voters to show up at the polls at exactly 12:00 p.m. on Sunday to show how many citizens don’t support the ruling regime. On Thursday, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office warned Russians that participating in the “Noon Against Putin” protest would be punishable by up to five years in prison.

At least one person in Kazan told OVD-Info that he was detained specifically for coming to vote at noon on Sunday. According to the local news outlet Groza, police at one of the city’s polling stations refused to let young people vote at 12:00, telling them to come back an hour or two later.