MOSCOW. Jan 25 (Interfax) - The Moscow department of the Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case over disabling vehicles or communication lines after the participants in an unauthorized public demonstration blocked roads in Moscow on January 23, the press service for the Moscow branch of the Russian Interior Ministry told Interfax.
"On January 23, a group of citizens, despite repeated warnings from police officers and other law enforcement agencies about violation of the law and the inadmissibility of such actions, organized an unauthorized mass event on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow that was not agreed with the city's executive authorities," the press service said.
The Interior Ministry said that the police officers together with the Russian Guard officers had suppressed all violations of public order during the unauthorized demonstration.
"At the same time, a number of persons, with the intent to render the communication lines unusable in the city of Moscow, organized the blocking of roads and sidewalks for pedestrians and vehicles, which resulted in halting traffic and blocking transport communications of transport infrastructure and the road network of Moscow," the press service said.
A criminal case has been opened for rendering vehicles or communication lines unusable.The Moscow police department said that about 4,000 people took part in this unauthorized event.
Unauthorized rallies in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was arrested upon his return to Russia, took place in many Russian cities on Saturday.
Moscow investigators launched a number of criminal inquiries on charges of the use of violence against a law enforcer, destruction of property and hooliganism following the unauthorized public demonstration in central Moscow.
On Sunday, Moscow human rights commissioner Tatyana Potyayeva said that more than 1,000 people had been detained at the unauthorized demonstration on Saturday.