Kasparov Arrested As Putin Tightens Grip
Former chess champion turned political dissident, Gary Kasparov was arrested on Saturday after leading an unsanctioned march in Moscow.
The purpose of the march was to protest against Putin in the build up to elections that many believe will be farcical and rigged, with Putin controlling the media and his United Russia party dominating the headlines and invariably portrayed in a rosy light.
The march, which attracted around 3,000 supporters, was broken up by riot police and Kasparov was amongst dozens of activists who were detained. He was later charge and is currently serving a five day jail sentence.
The White House issued the following the statement in reaction to the day's events: "The United States is concerned by the aggressive tactics used by Russian authorities against opposition protesters yesterday in Moscow."