One of Russia’s youngest lawmakers and a fugitive deputy sentenced in absentia on bribery charges have been kicked out of Russia’s lower-house State Duma.
Vasily Vlasov, 28, and Vadim Belousov, 63, were formally dismissed for skipping committee meetings for more than a month, Russia's lower house of parliament said in a statement on Wednesday.
Vlasov claimed that he regularly attends legislative sessions and said that his removal “raised uncomfortable questions” in comments made to the Vedomosti business daily earlier this week, but he did not go into further detail.
In a separate interview with Russia’s tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets, he maintained that his attendance stood at 98.8%.
The tabloid, citing an anonymous State Duma source, said that the leader of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Leonid Slutsky, may be clearing the political field of close allies of LDPR's late leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky as he aims to assert greater control over the party.
Vlasov, who first entered Russia's lower parliament in 2016, was Zhirinovsky's one-time aide.
Belousov, meanwhile, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in 2018 to allow authorities to investigate claims of bribery in 2010-14.
In 2022, a Moscow court sentenced him to 10 years in prison, but Belousov failed to appear in court and was later declared a fugitive.
The 3.2-billion-ruble ($49 million) bribe he was found guilty of receiving was described as the largest in modern Russia’s history.
Belousov had managed to retain his Duma seat for a full year after his conviction.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
