MOSCOW ? Russia?s parliament voted to strip an opposition leader of his seat Friday, making way for a criminal case against him that his supporters describe as one more step in silencing criticism of President Vladimir Putin.
Gennady Gudkov, a 56-year-old former KGB officer who emerged in recent months as a advocate for rule of law and freedom of speech, was accused of illegally running a business while serving in the state Duma.
The vote to remove him, organized by the ruling United Russia party, was 291 to 150, with three abstentions. It came on the eve of an opposition rally, provoking suspicion among organizers that the authorities intend to arrest Gudkov, now stripped of his immunity, along with other protest leaders at Saturday?s march.
?What is going on now is a disgrace to the country,? Gudkov said in an emotional speech to the Duma before the vote. ?Instead of taking the matter to court, even our court, you have decided to quickly get rid of your political opponents by voting.?
The action against him, Gudkov asserted, was part of a government campaign against dissent that has included embezzlement charges against anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny, a jail term for three punk rockers who staged an anti-Putin protest in a cathedral and harassment of the opposition with apartment searches and hours of questioning.
?Have there not been enough humiliating searches?? he asked. ?Have there not been enough framed criminal cases and cheap accusations??
Gudkov, who started a security business before his election to the Duma in 2001, was forced to sell the company in July after he came under investigation. He asserted that he was not running the company personally.
Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the liberal Yabloko party, said at least 21 other deputies own businesses, but none of them has been warned of illegal activity. Gudkov?s expulsion, he said, was not only politically motivated but illegal.
?This decision once again demonstrates that the regime is completely ignoring the fundamental principles of law,? Mitrokhin told the Interfax news agency. ?The decision to strip Gudkov of his mandate is illegal because it is not based on a court ruling.?
Gudkov?s son, Dmitri, also has a seat in the Duma. United Russia deputies are considering whether to introduce a law preventing family members from serving simultaneously.
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=57f6bc359e242a74363340bf2ebd627e
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