Russian Opposition Holds Moscow Protest Without Arrests

The opposition protest on Bolotnaya Square in the center of Moscow had been sanctioned by the authorities, unlike previous gatherings that were banned and then rapidly broken up by the police.

Hundreds of Russian opposition supporters have turned out for a protest in Moscow, and the demonstration proceeding without arrests.

Around 1,500 people took part in the meeting "For a Russia without Arbitrary Rule and Corruption" led by opposition leaders including former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.

A 2009 survey on corruption perceptions by Transparency International ranked Russia a lowly 146th out of 180 countries, falling between Kenya and Sierra Leone.

The opposition protest on Bolotnaya Square in the center of Moscow had been sanctioned by the authorities, unlike previous gatherings that were banned and then rapidly broken up by the police.

compiled from agency reports