They've been accused of taking part in illegal protests last month against the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

It came on the same day Navalny was back in court for a slander trial.

He's accused of slandering award war two veteran who took part in a promotional video last year.

The video supported reforms that allowed Putin to run for two more terms after 2024 if he wanted to.

He called the people in the recording corrupt lackeys on traitors without a conscience, thanks.

Audio from Friday's trial shows Navalny telling the court to burn in hell, and also accused the prosecution and relatives of the veteran of using the 95 year old as a puppet.

Earlier this week, Navalny was jailed for three years for parole violations, accusations he said were trumped up.

Western governments have condemned at that trial, which spurred talks of sanctions.

The EU's top diplomats Your set barrel was in Moscow on Friday for rare talks.

My visit go inside with the rest on sentencing off Alexi Navalny on the arrest off 1000 demonstrators that you can respect.

I have convey to Minister Lavrov our deep concern and reiterated our appeal toe his release on the launch of an impartial investigation off his progeny.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a harsh response to the possibility of you sanctions wear used to the European Union, Mawr and MAWR, often drawing on one sided restrictions that have no legal base wear building our life on the basis that the U is an unreliable partner, at least for the time being.

The slander charge is punishable by up to two years in jail.

Navalny's lawyer has argued he cannot be sentenced because the alleged crime was committed before the law was changed to make it available a fence.