Russian opposition flag charges rejected

August 26, 2010

A Russian court has ordered further investigation of charges against three leading opposition politicians stemming from their raising of a giant Russian flag in Moscow on the weekend, to celebrate Flag Day.

Boris Nemtsov, Lev Ponomaryov and Mikhail Shneider were all facing charges of "insubordination towards the police" after they raised the banner to commemorate 22 August 1991, the date when Boris Yeltsin defeated a hard-line Communist coup against then Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.

A court ruled, however, that there is not enough evidence to convict Mr Nemtsov – seen as the most credible leader of the Russian opposition – and his partners of the charges and returned the case to the police for further investigation.

Yeltsin's 1991 show of defiance marked the end of more than 70 years of Soviet dictatorship and led to the birth of an independent Russia, along with the revival of its tricolour flag.

Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has fought, however, to portray the 1990s as a lost decade, despite being one of the main beneficaries of those changes.

Blogging about his experience, Mr Nemtsov said, "To prevent people carrying the state flag, thereby shaming Russia in front of the whole world, is a clear sign of progressive political paranoia.”


Mr Nemtsov, along with human rights activist, Ponomaryov, and opposition activist, Shneider, were bearing the flag along Moscow’s Novy Arbat when police pounced. It was despite having previously gained permission to hold a small rally on the street.