MOSCOW -- A prominent anti-Putin protester who fled Russia for Ukraine last month has been detained while demonstrating in Moscow.
Police detained Roman Roslovtsev on September 27 after he appeared on the Russian capital's Red Square carrying a poster, saying "I Am Not Afraid of 212.1!" The number refers to the Russian Criminal Code article, according to which people may be sentenced to up to five years in prison for participating in more than two unsanctioned public events in 180 consecutive days.
Roslovtsev has gained a reputation for staging one-man protests while wearing a mask of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He traveled from Russia to Ukraine via Belarus in late August, crossing the border on foot at night and telling Ukrainian authorities he wanted political asylum.
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Before being detained on September 27, Roslovtsev told RFE/RL that he had wanted to join the Ukrainian military, which is fighting Russia-backed separatists, but was rejected because of bad eyesight and decided to return to Russia and continue his protests.
"To put it bluntly, I had nothing to live on in Ukraine. I literally slept at the train station the last days before leaving," he said.
