Russia arrests 200 after protest verdict

Two hundred people were arrested yesterday near a Moscow court as it convicted eight defendants of mass riots and attacking police at a protest against President Vladimir Putin, a case widely seen as a crackdown on dissent.
The eight defendants were found guilty of participating in mass riots and hitting policemen at an opposition rally the day before Putin returned to the Kremlin for a third term in 2012.
Around 200 people were detained over several hours, a spokesman for Moscow police said. An AFP correspondent saw dozens being detained for shouting or even just carrying balloons.