Under pressure from the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday defended his country's human rights record, claiming that Russia has no political prisoners and dismissing criticism of a draconian bill that hikes fines for unsanctioned street rallies.

Grilled by a reporter about his crackdown on the opposition, Putin said at an EU summit in St. Petersburg that the country's controversial law on rallies is "democratic" and claimed it was similar to legislation elsewhere in Europe.

Putin served as Russia's president for eight years before stepping down in 2008 due to term limits. He returned to the Kremlin in May amid massive street protests against his tightening grip on power. Small protests have lingered, and Putin's party has submitted draft legislation that would increase fines 200-fold for those taking part in unsanctioned rallies. The bill is expected to be voted into a law on Tuesday.