Former chess champion and opposition figure Garry Kasparov was among several people arrested on Friday outside a Moscow court where members of the punk band Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism.
Video shows Kasparov being dragged to a nearby police van while he demands to know why he’s being taken into custody.u00a0Three members of punk group Pussy Riot were found guilty on charges of hooliganism inside a Moscow cathedral on Friday.
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Police swooped in on protestors outside the Khamonivchesky courthouse, aggressively arresting 30 demonstrators including opposition leaders Garry Kasparov and Sergei Udaltsov.
Kasparov’s Facebook page confirms his arrest and an entry reads, “We just spoke to Garry on the phone. He is at the police station. He was beaten but says he is okay. He isn’t sure what will happen next. It seems the police are waiting for orders from above. He says he was standing calmly speaking with journalists when police pushed through and grabbed him.”