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Bloomberg
Opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, a former deputy in Russia’s lower house of parliament, was detained, Tass reported, citing unidentified people in law enforcement.
Lera Gudkova, the politician’s wife, confirmed the detention via Facebook and said his aunt was also being held in the case.
His detention comes amid a widening crackdown against opponents of President Vladimir Putin since Kremlin foe Alexey Navalny returned to Russia earlier this year.
Gudkov will be held for 48 hours during an investigation of unpaid rent for a commercial space from 2015 to 2017, Tass said, citing one of the people. He could face as much as five years in jail on the charges, according to Tass. Earlier in the day, Andrey Pivovarov, the former executive director of Open Russia, told Ekho Moskvy radio station that he was detained after boarding a flight to Warsaw at St Petersburg’s airport.
Last week, Pivovarov said he was
terminating Open Russia’s activities due to amendments to the law on undesirable
organisations.