Lithuanian Foreign Minister calls on Russia to release anti-corruption protesters

VILNIUS - The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Monday expresses its concern over the detention of peaceful demonstrators during nationwide protests in Russia against corruption and called for their release.

The ministry emphasized that Alexei Navalny, the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and one of Russia's opposition leaders, and other members of the Foundation's staff were among hundreds of people detained in anti-corruption rallies.

"We call on the Russian authorities to release all detainees immediately. We also call on the authorities of the Russian Federation to guarantee their citizens the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression," the ministry said in a statement.

"These and other civil liberties and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation should be fully respected, guaranteed and cannot be restricted, as the Russian Federation has committed itself at the international level," it said.

Thousands of people on Sunday took part in anti-corruption rallies called by Navalny in Moscow and some other cities. Most of these rallies had not been authorized by authorities and some of the protesters were detained by police.