Opposition leader Nemtsov faces court hearings
Mon 23 Aug 2010
Moscow police have released an opposition leader on 23 August and two other prominent activists who were detained at a march in the Russian capital on 22 August. Nemtsov is now being charged in two separate courts. In the first one he is charged with refusing to obey the police during the rally on 22 August. On 24 August he was accused of the same charge over another unsanctioned protest in July, when he was briefly arrested. Nemtsov denies both charges. He faces possible fines and prison sentences of up to 15 days in each case.
Boris Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister, was detained along with fellow opposition activist Mikhail Shneider and human rights defender Lev Ponomaryov when around 100 activists tried to march to mark Russia's Flag Day. The holiday celebrates the flag adopted by Russia as the Soviet Union collapsed. The three have been charged with resisting police and holding an unsanctioned march.
Nemtsov told international media from a police station that they had just wanted to express their respect for their country and its flag, which is “a symbol of freedom and democracy, only not for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin”. He said that the interruption of the march to honour the Russian flag, shows the ‘mentality’ of the authorities and of Putin.
Updated: 25 August 10:45
Sources: RFE/RL; NRC (Dutch); Google images (image)
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