MOSCOW (AP) — Police in Moscow detained 16 people who held staggered one-person protests Friday, in violation of the city's coronavirus restrictions, against the arrest of a prominent Russian journalist.

An opposition Moscow city council member and his aide were among those detained right outside the Moscow police headquarters.

The activists were protesting against the arrest of journalist Ilya Azar, who was sentenced to 15 days in jail the night before, also for holding a one-man protest amid the lockdown.

Moscow has banned public events to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, Azar came to the city’s police headquarters to protest against the jailing, on extortion charges, of an activist who monitors police corruption.

His arrest elicited outrage among journalists and opposition activists. On Thursday, 13 people were detained for picketing the police headquarters.

Amnesty International, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Russia's Presidential Human Rights Council condemned the crackdown and urged authorities to release the protesters.

Activists vowed to continue pickets in Azar's support despite police warnings about the ban on public events.

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