Opposition lawmaker expelled from Russian Duma September 14, 2012 - 14:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Opposition lawmaker Gennady Gudkov was ousted from Russia’s lower house of parliament on Friday over charges he said were “payback” for his involvement in anti-Kremlin protests, RIA Novosti reported. His expulsion after an at times stormy State Duma session came ahead of a mass rally set for central Moscow on Saturday against the twelve-year rule of President Vladimir Putin. Gudkov, 56, and his son, Dmitry, 32, also a State Duma lawmaker with the A Just Russia party, are among a handful of members of parliament who have joined forces with an opposition movement that has seen an uneasy alliance among liberal, communist, and nationalist forces. Gudkov, a former KGB colonel, was accused of engaging in commercial activity while serving as a lawmaker, which is forbidden under Russian law. United Russia’s parliamentary group and lawmakers from the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party voted for Gudkov’s expulsion, which was approved by 291 members of parliament, almost 70 more than the minimum required. Gudkov told journalists he would appeal to Russia's Supreme Court.   Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".   Partner news |  Latest news Russia sends note of protest to Armenia over envoy’s trip to Ukraine’s Bucha  Russia has sent a note of protest to Armenia over the visit of Vladimir Karapetyan and Tigran Ter-Margaryan to Bucha.Armenia: Protesters march to parliament, some spend the night on street The protesters did not disperse despite heavy rain that began at around 2 a.m. local time.Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. |
