Russian opposition activist jailed for honoring slain leader Boris Nemtsov
Mikhail Borisov, leader of the PARNAS party's regional branch and a former deputy in the Sverdlovsk Regional Duma, has been ordered to spend nine days in detention. The arrest follows his involvement in an unsanctioned memorial event for slain opposition figure Boris Nemtsov.
Borisov was taken into custody alongside Alexei Mosin, head of the Ural branch of human rights group Memorial. Both men had gathered at Labor Square in Yekaterinburg to lay flowers on the 11th anniversary of Nemtsov's assassination.
The detention took place after Borisov and Mosin participated in the tribute on February 27. Initially, Borisov was released because of his role as a member of a precinct election commission. However, police later obtained approval from the Sverdlovsk regional prosecutor's office to hold him, with the green light given on March 12.
During the court hearing, Borisov explained that he had known Nemtsov personally and had attended the event to honour his memory. He also admitted knowing Mosin for years and had met him that day to discuss private matters. Despite the charges, Borisov maintains his innocence and claims law enforcement leaked their photos to the media without permission. Mosin, who had already served a nine-day sentence for the same offence, was detained again alongside Borisov. Both now face charges under the law against organising unsanctioned public gatherings.
The court's decision means Borisov will remain in custody for nine days. The case highlights ongoing restrictions on public memorials in Russia, particularly those linked to opposition figures. Mosin's prior conviction and repeated detention suggest a pattern of enforcement against similar acts of remembrance.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
