Russian police arrests 7 people for 'unauthorized demonstration' outside FSB office

Russian police on Sunday arrested seven people protesting outside the Moscow headquarters of the FSB, Russia's security service, rights group OVD-Info reported.

Several dozen protesters gathered outside the infamous Lublyanka building for an unauthorised demonstration against what they say are abuses committed by the security forces, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Some were protesting the detention of 77-year-old rights activist Lev Ponomaryov, who was sentenced to 25 days in police cells for urging people to take part in an unauthorised rally.

OVD-Info, which specialises in covering such demonstrators, posted a photo of those arrested, inside the police wagon in which they were being held.

Another five demonstrators were detained in front of the health ministry building in Moscow during another unauthorised protest, Moscow Echo radio reported.

Most of those detained for such protests are either released after a few hours or receive short prison sentences or fines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that calls for unauthorised demonstrations could lead to an explosion of violence like that seen in the "yellow vest" protests in Paris.

"We don't want events in our country where people are tearing up paving stones and burning everything they see," he said.

Some protestors outside the Lubyanko wore the high-visibility yellow vests associated with the French protests.

(With inputs from agencies.)