Dmitry Gudkov, a prominent opposition politician and former parliamentarian, was detained by Russian law enforcement officials as part of a broader crackdown on Kremlin critics. He later went on to join Russia's liberal opposition and oppose President Vladimir Putin. Read MoreHis detention is the latest in a wider crackdown against opponents of the Kremlin ahead of a parliamentary election in September. Separately, Russian authorities raided the apartment of opposition activist Andrei Pivovarov earlier on Tuesday, a day after he was hauled off a plane and taken into custody. Russia declared the London-based Open Russia group "undesirable" in 2017, effectively banning its activities.

Source: Irish Independent June 01, 2021 20:15 UTC