France, Germany condemn Russia protest crackdown

France and Germany on Sunday condemneda Russian police crackdown on a banned opposition rally that saw hundreds detained, with Paris criticising an "excessive use of force" after a second weekend of protests over the exclusion of opposition candidates from local Moscow polls next month.Berlin said the police action on Saturday "violated" Russia's international obligations and undermines the right to fair elections in the country.The arrests on Saturday were "out of all proportion to the peaceful