MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. A criminal case has been opened following violations of health rules during an unauthorized rally in Moscow on January 23, a law enforcement source told TASS on Monday.

"A criminal case has been launched under Article 236 of the Russian Criminal Code. The reason is that the rally involved people infected with the coronavirus," the source said, adding that several people had already been questioned for the case.

Four criminal cases on violence against law enforcement officers, a hooliganism case and a case on attempts to block roads were launched following the unauthorized rally. According to police, the rally involved about 4,000 people. More than 40 protesters and about the same number of law enforcement officers suffered injuries in clashes.

The unauthorized rally in support of opposition politician Alexey Navalny took place in Moscow on January 23. Navalny, who was wanted for violating his suspended sentence in the Yves Rocher case, was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport upon arrival from Berlin on Sunday. Moscow’s Khimkinsky District Court ruled on Monday that he should remain in custody until February 15.