Duma Bars Opposition Deputy From Speaking In Parliament

Russia's parliament has voted to bar an opposition lawmaker from speaking before the parliament for a month after he referred to deputies in the ruling party as "thieves and swindlers."

"Thieves and swindlers" was a term coined by prominent opposition figure and anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny to describe Putin's political party, United Russia.

The decision to bar Ilya Ponomaryov comes two weeks after fellow Just Russia party member Gennady Gudkov was expelled from the Duma for allegedly running a business in violation of parliamentary rules.

The politicians were two of only a handful of lawmakers to join the ranks of a growing popular street-based movement opposed to President Vladimir Putin's rule which emerged last year.

Based on reporting by AP and Itar-Tass