Human rights groups have condemned excessive use of force by the police on Saturday against protesters demanding free elections in Moscow. Human Rights Watch issued a statement Monday saying Russian authorities use repression to face down dissent and assert control. About 1,400 protesters have been arrested in the Russian capital for demonstrating against elimination of opposition candidates from upcoming Moscow city assembly elections. Also, as VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports, there are fears that one of the top protest organizers, Alexey Navalny, has been poisoned while in detention.
