Scores of demonstrators as well as journalists were beaten by police with truncheons and detained at March of Discontented rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg on April 14 and 15.
Photo: Grigory Tambulov
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Russian Ombudsperson Demands Interior Minister’s Resignation
Head of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council Ella Pamfilova on Sunday called on Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev to step down after the violent crackdown on protest rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg mid-April.
“Authorities have dealt a heavy blow on Russia’s reputation in the world, Russian ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova told Kommersant. “Don’t discredit Russia – learn how to act intelligently or resign,” she said in her address to Rashid Nurgaliev. Ms. Pamfilova admitted that the Other Russia coalition that organized the rallies was the winner while “authority was on the losing side.”
A spokesperson for the Russian Interior Minister brushed off all the accusations. Riot police had the right to employ force as “all nonviolent ways to suppress abuse of law and order were exhausted,” Valery Gribakin told a news conference. The spokesperson also noted that Other Russia had hired provocateurs for the rallies.
Moscow and St. Petersburg saw major protest rallies on April 14 and 15 when riot police dispersed crowds of people marching through central streets. Scores of demonstrators as well as journalists were beaten by police with truncheons and detained.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 23, 2007
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