He was still in custody some 40 hours later when he found out his college was firing him.

The rector of Moscow's Institute of Theatrical Art publicly supports President Vladimir Putin and wrote on its website that Nazareth had deliberately committed a crime by protesting on.

That was an immoral act, Nazareth says he knew he'd be sacked and stands by his choice.

E was expecting it from the moment that police caught me on the road and started carrying me.

E didn't expect that kind of wording which insults me deeply.

E think it would have been a moral for me not to be there.

It would have been a moral to demand that my students don't express their opinions or have an opinion that is immoral, e alright.

Nazareth's firing illustrates the risks the demonstrators run.

Police had declared the protests illegal and rounded up more than 4000 people, a monitoring group said.

Nazareth says he wasn't even planning to protest, but his son told him he was going and he felt he couldn't stay on the sidelines.

E haven't liked the direction our country is going in for a long time.

I wish Russia was a European nation on the country.

I wasn't ashamed off on as time goes by their arm or and more reasons to be ashamed, and it pains me deeply.

Bull in areas.

Another protest is planned for Sunday.

Nazareth says he doesn't know if he'll go yet, but he isn't afraid.

What frightens him or, he says, is living in a country that is quote descending into an abyss of absurdity and fear.