RUSSIA: Opposition leader and former international chess champion Garry Kasparov in court over arrest at Pussy Riot verdict
Record ID:
858632
RUSSIA: Opposition leader and former international chess champion Garry Kasparov in court over arrest at Pussy Riot verdict
- Title: RUSSIA: Opposition leader and former international chess champion Garry Kasparov in court over arrest at Pussy Riot verdict
- Date: 24th August 2012
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 24, 2012) (REUTERS) POLICE OFFICERS COMING TO COURT BUILDING FORMER CHESS CHAMPION GARRY KASPAROV APPROACHING COURT BUILDING JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE COURT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER CHESS CHAMPION GARRY KASPAROV, SAYING: "Any man can be arrested in any place, regardless of what he's doing, regardless of where he's going - just because the authorities do not like him for some reason, or maybe because a policeman does not like him." KASPAROV TALKING TO JOURNALISTS JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER CHESS CHAMPION GARRY KASPAROV, SAYING: "I think Russia has already transformed into a police state. The real question is whether we are transforming from a police state into a totalitarian one. A police state is when you are prevented from holding lawful protest actions. But now we need to understand if they can just arrest a person on the street just because he is deemed unreliable or because this was decision made by some big police boss at his workplace." JOURNALIST LISTENING PANORAMA FROM JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO KASPAROV TALKING SIGN AT COURT ENTRANCE DOOR KASPAROV ENTERING COURT BUILDING
- Embargoed: 8th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Russian Federation
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVADLYRD81EYE0DDV24JM1EIA7LB
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Russian opposition leader and former international chess champion Garry Kasparov arrived at a Moscow court on Friday (August 24) following his arrest last week outside of the courthouse where members of the punk protest group Pussy Riot were being sentenced.
Kasparov went on Aug. 17 to support the women who received two-year sentences for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for storming the altar of Moscow's main cathedral and signing a song calling on the Virgin Mary to get rid of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As the 49-year old Putin critic gave an interview to journalists outside of court, he was grabbed by police officers and carried to a waiting police van.
Kasparov claims he was illegally detained, beaten and then falsely accused of biting an officer on the hand.
"Any man can be arrested in any place, regardless of what he's doing, regardless of where he's going - just because the authorities do not like him for some reason, or maybe because a policeman does not like him," Kasparov said.
Kasparov was among close to 100 protesters who were detained outside of the Pussy Riot verdict reading. He claims that he had been peacefully giving an interview to journalists when he was detained, and his arrest that was caught on tape by Reuters cameramen has been viewed by thousands on the Internet.
"I think Russia has already transformed into a police state. The real question is whether we are transforming from a police state into a totalitarian one. A police state is when you are prevented from holding lawful protest actions. But now we need to understand if they can just arrest a person on the street just because he is deemed unreliable or because this was decision made by some big police boss at his workplace," Kasparov said.
The charges of assaulting a police officer are punishable with a jail sentence of up to five years in Russia. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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