OTTAWA - Prominent Russian democracy activists are urging Ottawa to resettle dozens of their peers who tried to claim asylum in the U.S. and now face deportation and imprisonment in Russia.

The activists told The Canadian Press 30 Russian nationals being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would face extremely grave consequences if they're sent back. They said as many as one thousand pro-democracy Russians in the U.S. are facing the prospect of deportation.

"We wanted to build alliances here in Canada, because solidarity is our biggest weapon against dictators," said Natalia Arno, founder of the Free Russia Foundation. "Canada, with its voice, is a very, very relevant country for us."

Arno visited Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal this past week to meet with Canadian officials a

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