Putin critics lead a march in Berlin calling for democracy in Russia and an end to war in Ukraine

This group [deserters] is in a very vulnerable position. Many of them are stranded without documents in countries like Armenia and Kazakhstan. They are occasionally abducted and, unfortunately, significant support from European authorities is now required to relocate them to safe countries and provide asylum,

Vesna coordinator Milana Shesterikova told The Moscow Times

Vladimir Kara-Murzarussian opposition leaders

The full-scale war has been ongoing for almost three years now…Every day in Ukraine, civilians are killed, children lose their homes and hospitals and schools are destroyed. All of this is carried out by Putin's regime in the name of our once-proud country, under the Russian flag and on behalf of the entire Russian society,

Kara-Murza told the demonstrators

The Kremlin's propaganda does everything it can to convince the world that all Russian citizens support this criminal, aggressive war,

he continued

Dictators are especially fond of claiming — and pretending — that they have the full support of the population,

he said

It's an attempt to galvanize the Russians who live outside Russia, many of them here in Berlin and around Germany, who are wanting to express their opposition to Putin and their hopes for an end to the war,

Young said of the event

No Putin. No war."

The procession marched holding a large red banner in front of them reading, in English

Several hundred people have answered this call to attend this protest, just near Potsdamer Platz in the heart of Berlin,

DW's Simon Young said live on site on Sunday

Ilya Yashinilya

This is an act of solidarity with all political prisoners in Russia,

Yashin said

The march demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the trial of Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, and the release of all political prisoners in Russia,

the protesters said in a statement