Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov has accused authorities of arresting him and other Kremlin critics on trumped-up charges in a bid to stop them running in September's parliamentary election. Gudkov was held in custody for two days this week. Police in Moscow released the 41-year-old former member of parliament on Thursday, but he remains a suspect in a criminal case filed over allegations that he failed to pay a debt on a rented property. The Kremlin has said recent arrests of politicians such as Gudkov have nothing to do with politics, and denies trying to clear the field of political opponents. Gudkov's arrest on Tuesday coincided with that of Andrei Pivovarov, another opposition figure, who was removed from a flight about to leave for Poland.

Source: Daily Mail June 06, 2021 20:56 UTC