Russia court arrests three in mass unrest probe

Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow last Saturday after authorities refused to allow prominent opposition candidates to stand for the city parliament in September.

Investigators this week launched a probe into what they said was "mass unrest", which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, and violence against police, targeting both organisers and participants.

On Friday, a Moscow court ordered Ivan Podkopayev, Kirill Zhukov and Samariddin Radzhabov be held in detention until September 27 pending their trial, an AFP correspondent said.

Investigators said Thursday they had detained five people including Alexei Minyaylo, a well-known activist and aide to Lyubov Sobol, an independent politician who has fought to get on the ballot.

A further unsanctioned protest is planned for Saturday, despite warnings from authorities.

Almost 1,400 people were arrested during the unsanctioned rally last weekend.

The opposition denies widespread unrest, insisting that the rally was peaceful and that police used violence against protesters, not the other way around.

AFP journalists at the scene saw police using batons on protesters, and injured demonstrators.

Nearly all prominent opposition leaders and many independent would-be candidates were detained ahead of the rally and jailed for up to 30 days, but many of the others have since been released.