Russia’s parliament voted on Tuesday to strip the only deputy who voted against last year’s annexation of Crimea of his immunity from prosecution as a lawmaker.
State prosecutors had asked the State Duma lower house to deprive opposition deputy Ilya Ponomaryov of his immunity, opening the way for him to face possible embezzlement charges.
Ponomaryov, who is now in the United States and one of the last remaining critics of President Vladimir Putin in the chamber, says the case against him is politically motivated.
He faces an investigation over his work for a state-funded technological foundation. He has been under increased pressure since …read more
Source: Voice of America
