A court in Moscow has jailed seven out of eight protesters accused of rioting and attacking police in a May 2012 demonstration against President Vladimir Putin. <br /><br />Seven men were given jail terms of between two and half to four years, while one woman was given a suspended sentence. The sentences are shorter than those demanded by prosecutors. <br /><br />Security was tight outside the court, where at least 200 people have been arrested.<br />Hundreds of people had gathered to support the detainees in an unannounced demonstration ruled illegal by the authorities.<br /><br />Some were chanting “Maidan”, a reference to the recent upheavals in Ukraine. Others chanted “freedom”, in the hope it would be heard inside the building. Some opposition activists were also calling for a demonstration later today outside the Kremlin.<br /><br />Those arrested at the demonstration include opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and members of the Pussy Riot group.
