Putin: Anticorruption protests are a tool of the Arab Spring
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the recent anticorruption rallies are “a tool of the Arab Spring,” reports RBC news agency.
“This is an instrument of the Arab Spring. We know very well what this led to. It was the reason for the government overthrow in Ukraine, and it plunged the country into chaos,” he said.
According to Putin, Russian authorities are consistently battling corruption, and its level has declined.
“The problem has decreased recently, as is shown by public opinion polls. I think it is wrong when political entities try to use this as a tool for their own self-promotion, and to not actually improve the situation in the country,” he said.
The head of the Russian Federation said that “everyone who breaks the law should be held accountable within the framework of Russian laws.”
On March 26th, almost a hundred cities in Russia held protests under the theme “He is Not Dimon [Dmitry] to Us.” The protests were held because of the lack of response from the authorities to the results of an investigation into corruption on the part of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
In many cities the protests ended in mass arrests. 800 people were arrested in Moscow, including the protest organizer Alexei Navalny.