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Journalist Accused of Insulting Cop

Socialite and journalist Bozhena Rynska is under investigation on suspicion of insulting a policeman at an opposition rally in December, RIA-Novosti reported Sunday.

Rynska, who writes a gossip column for Gazeta.ru, "publicly insulted the officer then posted pictures of him on LiveJournal with messages directly insulting him as well as police in general," the state-run news agency reported, citing an unidentified law enforcement official.

The blog post was unavailable Sunday. A cache revealed that Rynska said she would "gouge out the policeman's eyes."

The officer had detained Rynska at the post-election protest on Triumfalnaya Ploshchad on Dec. 6. Rynska claimed that the detention was unlawful because she was there as a journalist and showed her press card.

Rynska was among some 500 people, including reporters, who were detained at the unsanctioned rally, which followed the Dec. 4 State Duma elections. If charged and convicted of insulting the officer, she faces a year of community service.

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