Russia: Opp leader put under house arrest
A Russian court on Saturday put Sergei Udaltsov under house arrest for inciting mass disorder.
MOSCOW: The Basmanny court in Moscow was responding to a request by investigators who said Udaltsov was not showing good behaviour and not cooperating with the authorities.
The judge said that Udaltsov could flee abroad or "try to carry out his criminal intentions".
The 35-year-old leader of the Left Front, who until now has remained under travel restrictions that prevented him from leaving Moscow, faces 10 years in prison if a probe leads to a conviction.
Authorities opened a probe after state-controlled television broadcast a documentary in October that alleged Udaltsov was plotting a violent uprising against Putin s government.
Udaltsov denies the accusations.
Russia s investigative committee said Friday that Udaltsov was being uncooperative with authorities.
"Sergei Udaltsov has not lived where he is registered for a long time, his mobile phones are often switched off, making it more difficult to summon the accused by the investigator," the committee said in a statement.
The committee said that Udaltsov "continues to commit illegal acts", saying the activist had taken part in an unauthorised protest.
One of the most radical voices in the protest movement, the shaven-headed activist rose to prominence during unprecedented protests against Putin s 12-year political dominance in the winter of 2011, and has been one of the key speakers at opposition rallies.
He is the first prominent opposition leader to be put under house arrest since those protests -- a sign that the Russian authorities may be preparing to ramp up pressure on the opposition as they seek to cauterise dissent.
Two of Udaltsov s allies have already been detained and charged in the probe, including Leonid Razvozzhayev, an aide to an opposition parliamentary lawmaker.
