Russian Protest Leader Charged
Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front in Russia, has been arrested and charged with plotting violent riots in collusion with foreign agents. The 35-year-old Udaltsov played a central role in organizing street demonstrations last December protesting against rigged parliamentary elections. He also was briefly detained this spring when he spoke out against the Pussy Riot trial as an example of kangaroo justice.
The current charges leveled against him are much more serious, carrying a potential jail sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He and two other activists were charged based on allegations raised in a documentary film that aired Oct. 5 on a Russian TV station. Udaltsov has denied the charges, viewed as part of a broader government crackdown against the Left Front protesters.
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