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Russian independent monitoring group OVD-Info said police had arrested demonstrators in 36 Russian cities during protests on Sept. 21, with over half of them arrested in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Calls to protest started circulating online following Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's announcement of mobilization in Russia to reinforce its army fighting in Ukraine on Sept. 21.
The Moscow Prosecutor's Office had earlier warned that organizing or participating in such demonstrations could be punished by up to 15 years in prison.