Britain says concerned by Russia's detention of peaceful protesters

Britain urged Russia to respect international human rights commitments following the detention of more than 1,000 people in Moscow and other Russian cities on Saturday at rallies demanding the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

"We are deeply concerned by the detention of peaceful protesters and continue to monitor the situation closely," the British foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We urge the Russian government to respect and comply with its international commitments on human rights, and release citizens detained during peaceful demonstrations."