INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian authorities robbed the houses of political leaders and reporters in 7 regions over ties to a pro-Ukraine previous lawmaker accused
of spreading out fake news about Russias invasion of Ukraine, media reported Thursday
This is at least the thirdwave of mass searches linked to Ponomaryov since the singing Ukraine war critic was jailed in absentia in late
August on charges of spreading out incorrect info about the Russian army
Ponomaryov, who has actually been residing in exile in Kyiv since 2016, rejected any links to much of the targets of Thursdays searches
Ive heard something about the people who were checked out today, however absolutely nothing about the majority of the others, he told
independent media outlet Sota.In Moscow, police raided the homes of 2 former city legislative assembly members and a Moscow State University
(MSU) teacher who stood as a candidate for the Communist Party in the 2021 parliamentary elections.Footage that emerged on messaging app
Telegram showed Lobanov hitting the deck on the flooring of his house with a torn t-shirt
A post on Lobanovs channel on Telegram said later in the day that he was charged with disobeying cops orders and sentenced to 15 days in
jail.Police likewise browsed the homes of journalists from 2 local news websites in the Siberian city of Tyumen, according to the
independent outlet Mediazona.State news companies TASS and RIA Novosti reported that the raids targeted those who supposedly participated in
a conference of Russian opposition members arranged by Ponomaryov, in addition to those linked to his social networks pages
Ponomaryov, 47, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of spreading out fake news about the Russian army-- among a plan of wartime
censorship laws passed after the Kremlin sent out troops into Ukraine.The exiled previous lawmaker-- a bitter critic of President Vladimir
Putin and an advocate of Kyiv-- was the only member of the Russian parliament to vote against the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
