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Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was detained in Moscow after staging a one-man protest near Red Square.

He was standing near the statue of Marshal Zhukov near the Kremlin holding a poster which read: "Putin fails to act against Chechnya torture of gay people," before several police officers swooped in.

They told him he had broken the law in Russia. Mr Tatchell was released on bail about an hour later.

Mr Tatchell was released by police around an hour after his arrest in central Moscow.

The Peter Tatchell Foundation said on Twitter: "I've spoken to the Consulate Gen (General) who says he has been bailed and treated well.

"Thank you for all the good wishes. Let's remember the awful plight of LGBTs in Russian and Chechnya."

During the arrest he was allowed to walk to a nearby police car where he was questioned before being transferred to another car and being driven away to a police station.

Mr Tatchell shouted "OK" as he left the first vehicle before being flanked by two officers in the car which drove him away.

In a statement before the protest, Mr Tatchell said: "President Putin has failed to condemn and act against the homophobic witch-hunts in Chechnya, which have seen scores of LGBT+ people arrested and tortured, with some even being murdered.

"Russia's 2013 anti-gay law against so-called 'homosexual propaganda' has been used to criminalise peaceful LGBT+ protests, sack LGBT+ teachers and suppress welfare organisations that support LGBT+ teenagers.

"Little action has been taken by the Russian government and police to crack down on far right extremists who target LGBT+ people for violent and humiliating assaults - including the instigators of the current threats to bash and stab LGBT+ football fans at the World Cup."

He said it was his sixth visit to the country, where he said he has twice been arrested during

A tweet from Mr Tatchell's official Twitter account read: "Confirmed. Peter has been detained by Moscow Police and taken to Tverskaya Police Station.".

People were quick to offer an outpouring of support to the LGBT+ campaigner.

Former Time person of the year and political commentator Jane Merrick tweeted: “Peter Tatchell is a hero.”

Novelist Barbara Nadel wrote: “I love Peter Tatchell. He's brave and committed and he's taking on a regime that that is truly toxic.”

Another person added: “Possibly one of the most courageous and determined men I have ever had the fleeting pleasure to meet. I do hope he will be released and not mistreated, though the Russians track record is not good.”

Andrew King said: “Respect to Peter Tatchell for having the courage to stand up to #Putin.”

The arrest comes hours before Russia opens the 2018 World Cup with a game against Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tatchell was one of around 30 people who originally founded the UK’s first ever gay pride march, which took place in London in July 1972.

In 2012 three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were each jailed for two years today after they were found guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for staging an anti-Putin protest in a church.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were convicted for holding a "punk prayer" in Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral and were waiting to find out if they would be jailed.

The conviction led to protests in support of the rockers across the globe.