Kremlin disregards US remarks on unauthorised protests in Russia

Moscow, Feb 2 Russia has disregarded statements made by the US regarding illegal protests taking place in the country, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media.

"As for the statements made by US representatives regarding our country and the illegal actions that took place in our country, I repeat once again, we are not willing to embrace or listen to them," Xinhua news agency quoted Peskov as saying to media persons on Monday.

"It is perhaps useful here to recall that any actions of this sort are generally banned in most European countries," the spokesman added.

He pointed out that law enforcement officers across a range of European countries were faced with difficult situations on Sunday, where they had to work to ensure safety and security.

Peskov further condemned any sort of violence against security forces during the unauthorised rallies, calling it unacceptable that certain individuals act like "hooligans and provocateurs".

His statement came after Rebecca Ross, the spokesperson for the US Embassy in Russia, condemned the use of "harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists" on Sunday and urged Moscow to "honour international human rights commitments".

The ongoing protests first broke out across Russia on January 23 when thousands of people took to the streets against the detention of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Navalny was arrested after arriving in Moscow from Germany, where he spent months recovering from from an attempt to kill him with a nerve agent.

Protests have been staged in major cities, including capital Moscow, St Petersburg, the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Yakutsk, Omsk and Yekaterinburg.

( With inputs from IANS )