A RIA Novosti photo correspondent, Andrei Stenin, was detained for a few hours by law enforcers on Saturday when filming an unauthorized opposition rally near the presidential administration building.

"It was an unsanctioned opposition rally, every participant had a sheet with one letter on it, and they built a chain forming the motto 'Observe the Constitution.' It was near the presidential administration building on Staraya Ploshchad," Stenin said.

He said Federal Protection Service (FSO) officers detained him and another eight people. "They saw I'm a journalist, I have a professional photo camera, lenses. I told them I'm a journalist, but it interested no one. Then they handed us to policemen, and they took us to the Kitai-gorod police station," he said.

Stenin said they were accused of violating the regulations regarding demonstrations and rallies and released in three hours, adding he will have to attend a court session on December 17.

Mikhail Safronov, a deputy director general of RIA Novosti and head of the news agency's legal department, said: "Andrei acted as an employee of the agency, as a journalist in full compliance with the law on the mass media."

"We intend to use all opportunities granted by the law to protect the rights of journalists guaranteed by the constitution and the mass media law, including the right to hold photo sessions and attend rallies and demonstrations," he said.

MOSCOW, December 12 (RIA Novosti)