You're reading: Razvozzhayev prosecuted on charges of illegally crossing state border

MOSCOW - The Russian Investigative Committee has started a criminal inquiry against opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev on charges of illegally crossing the state border. Razvozzhayev also stands accused of inciting mass disturbances, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax.

“Aware that he may be prosecuted in connection with the Anatomy of Protest-2 film, Razvozzhayev left Russia on October 15,” he said.

Razvozzhayev is being prosecuted because he used his brother’s passport to cross the border, he said.

Informed about an inquiry started against him in connection with claims voiced in the Anatomy of Protest film and aware that a criminal case may be started against him, Razvozzhayev decided to evade prosecution on October 15, according to investigators.

“In order to deceive law enforcement services he bought a ticket bound for Kyiv using his brother’s passport and crossed the state border without valid documents to exit the country,” Markin said.

Given that this criminal case is not within the competence of the Investigative Committee (the Federal Security Service normally handles them), the Investigative Committee has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to refer this criminal case to the Investigative Committee’s Main Investigations Department.

NTV television aired a film, the Anatomy of Protest-2, on October 5 which alleged that Bank of Moscow President Andrei Borodin had agreed to provide large funding to support the fringe opposition in Russia.

The chairman of the Georgian parliament’s defense and security committee Givi Targamadze acted as a mediator, while Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov was one of the main figures that enforced the plan for intensifying the protest sentiment in Russia, alongside nationalists.

Udaltsov and his aide Konstantin Lebedev were questioned as suspects on October 17 and their apartments were searched. Udaltsov was freed with travel restrictions, while Lebedev was charged, taken into custody and subsequently arrested until December 16.

Aide to lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov, Razvozzhayev was entered on the federal wanted list.

It emerged on October 22 that Razvozzhayev had been arrested.