Russian court rejects request to release Kasparov

11 hours ago

MOSCOW (AFP) — With less than a week before legislative elections, a Russian court rejected Monday an appeal to the five-day jailing of Russian opposition head and ex-chess champion Garry Kasparov, his lawyer said.

"The tribunal has rejected all our arguments, considering there are enough proofs of the guilt of Garry Kasparov and refusing the question witnesses for the defense and prosecution," lawyer Olga Mikhailova told Echo of Moscow radio.

Leader of a coalition of Putin opponents, The Other Russia, Kasparov was arrested for public order offences at a Moscow rally Saturday. About 200 opposition activists were detained at another demonstration in Saint Petersburg the following day.

Although Kasparov was practically the only opposition member sentenced to prison in connection with the protests, the detention drew criticism from several European capitals.

The Other Russia is planning to hold another protest the day after the December 2 elections, in which the United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin is forecast to win a crushing victory.

Separately Monday, Putin accused the United States of trying to "discredit" the Russian elections by pressuring foreign observers to abandon their monitoring mission -- a claim Washington denies.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe scrapped its 70-strong observer mission earlier this month, citing a lack of cooperation with Moscow.

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