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Russian Arbitration Court Tosses Out Putin-Impeachment Lawsuit

The arbitration court of the Saratov region has dismissed a lawsuit which called for the removal of Russian President Vladimir Putin from his post, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.

Local resident Nikolai Suvorov had said in a letter to the court that Putin is “an enemy of the state … for his plunder of Russia and impoverishment of the Russian people.”

The court statement said that arbitration courts may not interfere with the activities of the Russian president, who has immunity under the Russian Constitution, according to Chapter 4, Article 91.

Arbitration courts can only hear cases regarding economic disputes and other matters related to business, Interfax reported.

Impeachment of the Russian president can be carried out by the Federation Council only on the basis of charges of high treason or some other grave crime, confirmed by a ruling of the Russian Supreme Court, according to Chapter 4, Article 93 of the document.

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