Russia’s year of protests
May 5, 2013 — About 1,000 Russian opposition supporters take part in a rally in Moscow. The rally marked a year since protest turned bloody and more than 400 people were detained for showing their frustration with Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency.
Thousands descended on Moscow's streets to mark the first anniversary of a May 6 protest against President Vladimir Putin's return to power in 2012.
The protest held on Monday was intended to draw attention to what critics call political persecutions in the Russian judicial system, according to The New York Times.
The May 6 protests a year ago were followed by mass arrests and criminal prosecutions, and are known collectively as the Bolotnaya Case.
The following pictures mark the year of political dissent in Russia.