Russia Detains Two More in Probe of anti-Putin rally

Russian authorities said Thursday they had detained two more people in a probe into clashes between the opposition and police on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a third term in May.

Russia's Investigative Committee said two more activists, identified as Nikolai Kavkazsky and Alexei Polikhovich, had been detained as part of the probe into the May 6 violence.

"They have been detained and the investigation is planning to charge them with participating in mass riots in the near future," it said in a statement. Police raided the homes of the two men, seizing as evidence their computers and clothes the investigation believes they had worn to the protest.

These latest detentions came on top of the 14 activists already under investigation including 12 who have been arrested.

A demonstration in central Moscow on May 6 erupted into street battles between riot police and the opposition, with more than 400 protesters being detained.

The announcement came as activists were hoping to stage a series of rallies in Moscow and other cities later Thursday to call on the authorities to release all the detained.

As part of the same probe, police last month raided the homes of several prominent opposition leaders including anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny and leftist radical Sergei Udaltsov.

Many saw the raids as an attempt to prevent them from appearing at a scheduled anti-Putin rally.

Activists accuse the Kremlin of launching a ruthless crackdown on the opposition since Putin's return to the Kremlin for an historic third term in May.

A series of laws recently approved by the Russian parliament include sharply increased fines for misdemeanors at opposition protests.

Deputies have also recriminalized slander and libel with massive fines for offenders.