In Russia, hundreds of people have been arrested following massive protests against the nation’s parliamentary elections. Several thousand people took to the streets late Monday to denounce perceived fraud and voting irregularities in the election that has allowed Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party to retain power. According to the activist group “Solidarity,” at least 300 people have been detained and could be held for up to 15 days for participating in a mass demonstration in Moscow. The Interior Ministry reportedly deployed troops against the public following violent clashes between the police and protesters. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe claims ballot stuffing and frequent procedural violations slanted the election in favor of Putin’s party. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney voiced concerns about the vote.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: “We have serious concerns about the conduct of those December 4th parliamentary elections. These concerns are reflected in the preliminary report issued by the OSCE’s (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) election observation mission, including a lack of fairness in the process, attempts to stuff ballot boxes and the manipulation of voter lists, among other things. Equally concerning are reports that independent Russian election observation efforts, including the nationwide Golos network and independent media outlets, encountered harassment of their personnel and cyber attacks on their websites.”