Putin critic to remain under arrest until spring

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Alina Lobzina – Dec. 12, 2012)

Investigators successfully appealed on Wednesday to prolong the detention of opposition figure Leonid Razvozzhayev for nearly four more months. The activist is accused of staging mass unrest in Moscow.

The decision to allow investigators to continue work on the case until April 1 was made by Moscow’s Basmaniy Court, RAPSI reported, citing an investigator involved in the case.

Razvozzhayev, who repeatedly claimed he was kidnapped in Ukraine while seeking political asylum with the United Nations, then tortured in Russia into signing a 10-page confession, said one of his tormentors was in the courtroom during the hearing, and pointed him out.

The judge, Artur Karpov, said this was to be recorded, but that no other legal action could be taken.

Three criminal cases

The criminal case against Razvozzhayev and two other left-wing activists ­ opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and his aide Konstantin Lebedev – was opened over footage featured in a documentary aired by a TV station loyal to the Kremlin.

The film shows the three men allegedly plotting mass protests which took place in Moscow on the night before Vladimir Putin’s presidential inauguration in May.

The men were also accused of receiving funding for the riots from Georgian politician Givi Targamadze. The Investigative Committee said on Tuesday it had enough evidence to confirm this accusation.

In addition to this suit, two more criminal cases have been opened against Razvozzhayev.

He is suspected of illegally crossing the Russian-Ukranian border and robbing a Siberian businessman of 500 fur hats back in 1997.

The second case, however, could be closed due to expiration of the statute of limitations, as Razvozzhayev’s defense pointed out on Wednesday in the courtroom. Investigators said a mutual consent of the parties was required, RAPSI reported.

Earlier, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case regarding the activist’s claims that he was illegally kidnapped from Kiev.