Yevgeny Roizman, former mayor of Russia's fourth-largest city, looks at a photographer prior to a court sessin in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Roizman has been detained on charges that could land him behind bars as part of authorities' efforts to muzzle dissent. Yevgeny Roizman is a sharp critic of the Kremlin and one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia.
MOSCOW — A former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city was ordered to spend 14 days in custody on Thursday pending his trial on charges that could entail a longer prison term, part of authorities’ efforts to muzzle dissent. Yevgeny Roizman, a sharp critic of the Kremlin, is one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. He enjoyed broad popularity while serving as mayor of Yekaterinburg, a city of 1.5 million people in the Ural Mountains.
Last year, Roizman, 60, who was mayor from 2013 to 2018, faced accusations of discrediting the Russian military and was barred from attending public events, using the internet, telephone or mail and communicating with anyone other than his lawyers and close family pending his trial. Police arrested Roizman on Thursday on charges of reposting material containing a reference to the organization led by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny that was banned by authorities. Roizman rejected the accusations during a court hearing in Yekaterinburg after his detention and insisted that he wasn’t even registered on that social network. His lawyer argued that the repost was done by members of one of his numerous support groups.
I’ve heard of some Americans who are still in jail 2 years after expressing dissent.
Sounds like Florida
………. Aaaaaaaaand he fell out of a window.