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Russian Legislator Accused of Treason After U.S. Visit Russian Legislator Accused of Treason After U.S. Visit
(about 11 hours later)
MOSCOW — In a striking move to purge the Russian Parliament of even the faintest of contrarian voices, legislative leaders on Friday accused an opposition lawmaker of treason and demanded an ethics investigation, saying that the legislator had used a visit to Washington earlier this month to urge the United States to meddle in Russia’s internal affairs. MOSCOW — In a striking move to purge the Russian Parliament of even the faintest of contrarian voices, legislative leaders on Friday accused an opposition lawmaker of treason and demanded an ethics investigation, saying that the legislator had used a visit to Washington this month to urge the United States to meddle in Russia’s internal affairs.
The accused lawmaker, Dmitry Gudkov, is one of just two members of the State Duma who are leading supporters of the Russian political opposition and who have participated since December 2011 in the large street protests in Moscow calling for the ouster of President Vladimir V. Putin. The lawmaker, Dmitry Gudkov, is one of just two members of the State Duma who are leading supporters of the Russian political opposition and who have participated since December 2011 in the large street protests in Moscow calling for the ouster of President Vladimir V. Putin.
Earlier this week, Mr. Gudkov was expelled from his party, Just Russia, after its leaders said he had refused to give up his leadership role in the opposition. Just Russia is one of three minority parties in the Parliament, which is controlled by United Russia, the party that nominated Mr. Putin for president. This week, Mr. Gudkov was expelled from his party, Just Russia, after its leaders said he had refused to give up his leadership role in the protest movement. Just Russia is one of three minority parties in the Parliament, which is controlled by United Russia, the party that nominated Mr. Putin for president.
The other opposition lawmaker, Ilya V. Ponomarev, quit Just Russia this week in solidarity with Mr. Gudkov. For now, they remain members of the Duma as independents. The other opposition lawmaker, Ilya V. Ponomarev, quit Just Russia this week in solidarity with Mr. Gudkov. For now, they are still members of the Parliament as independents.
But the accusations of treason against Mr. Gudkov, 33, are seen as a clear precursor to an effort to strip him of his seat. In September, his father, Gennadi V. Gudkov, a four-term lawmaker from the Just Russia faction, was similarly expelled from the Duma after being accused of violating rules that restrict members of Parliament from operating private businesses. But the charges of treason against Mr. Gudkov, 33, are seen as a clear precursor to an effort to strip him of his seat. In September, his father, Gennadi V. Gudkov, a four-term lawmaker from the Just Russia faction, was similarly expelled after being accused of violating rules that restrict members of Parliament from operating private businesses.
The elder Mr. Gudkov also actively supported the political opposition and his ouster was widely viewed as a reprisal. The elder Mr. Gudkov also actively supported the political opposition, and his ouster was widely viewed as a reprisal.
Dmitry Gudkov visited the United States earlier this month where he participated in a panel discussion held by Freedom House, a nonprofit group that works to promote democracy. Dmitry Gudkov visited the United States this month where he participated in a panel discussion held by Freedom House, a nonprofit pro-democracy group that Russia has called biased and accused of promoting American interests.
While he made some remarks critical of Mr. Putin’s government and the Duma itself, the charges of treason were all the more stunning because Mr. Gudkov went out of his way during his public statement to stress that the political opposition was working only in Russia’s interests and he urged the United States to help make that clear to the Russian public as well. The Washington event was also sponsored by the Foreign Policy Initiative, a conservative-leaning advocacy group that promotes American foreign policy engagement and has warned about rising challenges from China and Russia, and by the Institute of Modern Russia, a nonprofit group. The institute’s president, Pavel Khodorkovsky, is the son of the Russian oil tycoon, Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, who was imprisoned in 2003 after challenging Mr. Putin’s authority.
While Mr. Gudkov made some remarks critical of Mr. Putin’s government and of the Parliament itself, the charges of treason were all the more stunning because Mr. Gudkov went out of his way during his public statement to emphasize that the political opposition was working only in Russia’s interests. He urged the United States to help make that clear to the Russian public as well.
In his remarks, which were recorded on video, Mr. Gudkov also noted that the planned trip to the United States had been used by state-controlled television to accuse him of treason and espionage.In his remarks, which were recorded on video, Mr. Gudkov also noted that the planned trip to the United States had been used by state-controlled television to accuse him of treason and espionage.
“I just want to say that we need to take a bit more moderate and farsighted approach to our bilateral relations,” Mr. Gudkov said. “Instead of criticizing Putin, we need to help him, to help him fight against Russian corruption because in every interview he emphasizes the importance of fighting corruption. We need to help him to expose the bribers, by providing information on their activities abroad and here in the United States because you know Russian propaganda, Kremlin propaganda, usually use our relations — I mean opposition and America — to discredit us, because we are always being set forth as traitors, as State Department agents, and to destroy our motherland.”“I just want to say that we need to take a bit more moderate and farsighted approach to our bilateral relations,” Mr. Gudkov said. “Instead of criticizing Putin, we need to help him, to help him fight against Russian corruption because in every interview he emphasizes the importance of fighting corruption. We need to help him to expose the bribers, by providing information on their activities abroad and here in the United States because you know Russian propaganda, Kremlin propaganda, usually use our relations — I mean opposition and America — to discredit us, because we are always being set forth as traitors, as State Department agents, and to destroy our motherland.”
Mr. Gudkov continued, “For instance, when I was in Russia, I heard information spread by the state television that Dmitry Gudkov was going to the United States to sell some secrets and to get new instructions. But if we change our approach, on the one hand, we could show Russian citizens that the opposition acts only according to the interests of Russia. On the other hand, we can demonstrate that the United States helped Russian people to expose Russian corrupt authorities.”Mr. Gudkov continued, “For instance, when I was in Russia, I heard information spread by the state television that Dmitry Gudkov was going to the United States to sell some secrets and to get new instructions. But if we change our approach, on the one hand, we could show Russian citizens that the opposition acts only according to the interests of Russia. On the other hand, we can demonstrate that the United States helped Russian people to expose Russian corrupt authorities.”
In recent months, the Duma, which is the lower house, has played a growing role as the Kremlin’s political attack machine, adopting laws aimed at suppressing political dissent as well as tightening restrictions on nonprofit groups, particular those receiving support from abroad.In recent months, the Duma, which is the lower house, has played a growing role as the Kremlin’s political attack machine, adopting laws aimed at suppressing political dissent as well as tightening restrictions on nonprofit groups, particular those receiving support from abroad.
For example, at the Kremlin’s urging the Duma led the charge to enact a ban on adoptions of Russian orphans by American citizens. In recent weeks, there has also been a steady drumbeat aimed at restricting interaction between lawmakers and the West, including legislation to bar officials from owning bank accounts or investments outside Russia.For example, at the Kremlin’s urging the Duma led the charge to enact a ban on adoptions of Russian orphans by American citizens. In recent weeks, there has also been a steady drumbeat aimed at restricting interaction between lawmakers and the West, including legislation to bar officials from owning bank accounts or investments outside Russia.
A letter demanding an investigation of Mr. Gudkov was signed by lawmakers from all the factions in the Duma, including the Communist Party and the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, whose leader earlier this week called for Mr. Gudkov’s arrest as a traitor. A letter demanding an investigation of Mr. Gudkov was signed by lawmakers from all the factions in the Duma, including the Communist Party and the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, whose leader this week called for Mr. Gudkov’s arrest as a traitor.
At a news conference on Friday, Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak, who is a leader of United Russia, said that Mr. Gudkov’s speech in the United States “demonstrates his disrespect for the requirements set for members of the Russian Parliament, negligence toward his responsibilities as a member of Parliament and a betrayal of national interests.”At a news conference on Friday, Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak, who is a leader of United Russia, said that Mr. Gudkov’s speech in the United States “demonstrates his disrespect for the requirements set for members of the Russian Parliament, negligence toward his responsibilities as a member of Parliament and a betrayal of national interests.”
Mr. Zheleznyak said that Mr. Gudkov had “called on the American authorities to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs.Mr. Zheleznyak said that Mr. Gudkov had “called on the American authorities to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs.
In the letter demanding an ethics investigation, lawmakers wrote, “We believe that Gudkov’s statements are effectively tantamount to calls for illegal acts that violate the sovereignty of the Russian state.”In the letter demanding an ethics investigation, lawmakers wrote, “We believe that Gudkov’s statements are effectively tantamount to calls for illegal acts that violate the sovereignty of the Russian state.”
In their role as elected officials as well as street protest leaders, Mr. Gudkov and Mr. Ponomarev have had to walk a fine line. They are viewed as rabble-rousers by many of their colleagues in the Parliament, but are not fully trusted by other opposition members. Both Mr. Ponomarev and Mr. Gudkov have stressed a need to work to change Russia from within the established political structures.In their role as elected officials as well as street protest leaders, Mr. Gudkov and Mr. Ponomarev have had to walk a fine line. They are viewed as rabble-rousers by many of their colleagues in the Parliament, but are not fully trusted by other opposition members. Both Mr. Ponomarev and Mr. Gudkov have stressed a need to work to change Russia from within the established political structures.
At the Freedom House event, Mr. Gudkov accused the Kremlin of initiating baseless criminal investigations against many leaders of the political opposition, including the anti-corruption blogger, Aleksei Navalny, who is barred from travel outside the Moscow region, and Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front, who has been placed under house arrest.At the Freedom House event, Mr. Gudkov accused the Kremlin of initiating baseless criminal investigations against many leaders of the political opposition, including the anti-corruption blogger, Aleksei Navalny, who is barred from travel outside the Moscow region, and Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front, who has been placed under house arrest.
Mr. Gudkov accused the Duma of acting as a rubber stamp for Mr. Putin’s policies, and he also expressed support for a new American law, called the Magnitsky Act, that aims to punish Russian human rights violators by denying them visas to travel to the United States and barring them from owning real estate or other assets there.Mr. Gudkov accused the Duma of acting as a rubber stamp for Mr. Putin’s policies, and he also expressed support for a new American law, called the Magnitsky Act, that aims to punish Russian human rights violators by denying them visas to travel to the United States and barring them from owning real estate or other assets there.
Mr. Gudkov stressed a growing divide between Russians who rely on state-controlled television for their information and the 45 million Russians who regularly use the Internet and have alternative news sources. He said he also expected a split to develop between Mr. Putin and his own supporters in the Parliament given the recent efforts to restrict ties between lawmakers and the West where many own financial assets and send their children to study.Mr. Gudkov stressed a growing divide between Russians who rely on state-controlled television for their information and the 45 million Russians who regularly use the Internet and have alternative news sources. He said he also expected a split to develop between Mr. Putin and his own supporters in the Parliament given the recent efforts to restrict ties between lawmakers and the West where many own financial assets and send their children to study.
“They don’t want to be a rubber stamp,” Mr. Gudkov said, “and I am expecting a serious breakdown within Putin’s team in the nearest future.”“They don’t want to be a rubber stamp,” Mr. Gudkov said, “and I am expecting a serious breakdown within Putin’s team in the nearest future.”