The latest news in Moscow comes from a really worrying article at Voice of America written by Charles Maynes. Take a look at this excerpt:

Russian police detained more than 180 people Saturday at a conference of independent municipal deputies in Moscow — accusing participants of violating the law by attending a pro-democracy forum with ties to an organization the government has labeled “undesirable.”

“The Forum of Independent Deputies,” organized by a group called United Democrats, brought together municipal deputies — and prospective candidates— from across the country to discuss strategies for Russia’s fall election season.

The day’s first panel — a session titled “Can Change Begin at the Municipal Level?” — was concluding as police entered the conference room and announced the proceedings were over.

Read the full article here. Also, visit the main Democracy Chronicles section on World Democracy or our articles on Worldwide Corruption.