Russian police release opposition figure held for 2 days
Russian authorities are cracking down on dissidents ahead of elections this fall.
VLADIMIR KONDRASHOV / Associated Press
Dmitry Gudkov, center, is surrounded by people after being released in case of an expiration of 48 hours of detention in Moscow on June 3.
June 3, 2021
MOSCOW — Russian police on Thursday released a well-known opposition politician from custody after holding him for two days.
Dmitry Gudkov was detained at his country house on Tuesday in connection with an investigation into money allegedly owed to the city for office space rental. Gudkov’s attorney, Mikhail Biryukov, said it was not clear whether his release meant the investigation was still active, according to Russian news reports.
His detention comes as authorities continue to crack down on dissidents ahead of September’s parliamentary election, in which Gudkov aspired to run. He was a parliament member from 2011 to 2016.
On Wednesday, a court sent prominent opposition figure Andrei Pivovarov to jail for two months pending a probe into his actions as head of the Open Russia group, which authorities have declared an undesirable organization. Pivovarov had announced the group was disbanding several days before his arrest.
