GENEVA: The United Nations on Friday condemned the "arbitrary arrests" of reportedly more than 1,800 people in Russia for protesting the country's invasion of Ukraine, urging their immediate release.

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"Arresting individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression or a peaceful assembly constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters, calling for "the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained".