Several Moscow municipal legislators are having their homes searched, OVD-Info reports.
Law enforcers started breaking the door of the apartment belonging to Mikhail Lobanov, previously a candidate for MP, at about 6:30 Moscow time, says Alexander Zamyatin, another politician. Lobanov is currently out of reach.
Vladimir Zalishchak and Sergey Tsukasov have also had their homes searched. OVD-Info is unaware what the reason behind this is.
“A huge holiday surprise from the police. They slammed down the apartment door. My mum, 88, is at home. Mummy, stand firm,” Tsukasov wrote.
Artur Galiev, a journalist for 72.ru, also had his home searched. He says the police visited him because of Ilya Ponomarev.
“I have no clue what I have to do with Ponomarev, I have no idea about his affairs. I had my phone and my old laptop confiscated,” Galiev said.
“Russia’s Investigative Committee initiated a criminal procedure against Ilya Ponomarev for spreading fake news about the Russian army. As part of the investigation, law enforcers started a series of searches in the homes of various Telegram channels administrators and former Moscow legislators,” TASS cites the police.
RIA Novosti’s source in the police says that “former legislators who had taken part in the so-called Convention of People’s Deputies in Poland have had their homes searched, same as admins of Telegram channels related to Ilya Ponomarev”.
Nikita Kiforuk, the chief editor of 86.ru, has been detained and had his laptop and cell phones confiscated. He is also being probed for connection with Ilya Ponomarev.
Ilya Ponomarev is a Russian MP who is currently in exile in Ukraine. He has been declared wanted by Russia recently.
