ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A Russian opposition leader accused of hitting a policeman has gone on a hunger strike to protest his detainment, which he believes is politically motivated, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Maxim Reznik, leader of the Yabloko party in St. Petersburg, began the hunger strike on Tuesday, when a city court ruled that he should remain in custody for two months while the case is under investigation, attorney Boris Gruzd said.
Reznik was arrested before an anti-Kremlin protest was to take place Monday, led by former chess champion Garry Kasparov. Reznik is a St. Petersburg organizer of the protests held by Kasparov's opposition coalition.
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In the US freedom of speech and peaceful protest are rights that we may sometimes take for granted, but as seen in this article these rights are rare in Russia. A man supposedly having a peaceful protest over Sunday's election was detained for two months. That is another thing that would not happen in the US. He is not being charged, just held until they can "research." Two months is a long time to research over a protest march. Will these violations of rights continue or will Medvedev lead to change.
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