Jailed Russian Activist Charged With 1997 Robbery

Russian opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev

Russia's top investigative agency says it has charged opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev with an armed robbery that allegedly occurred 15 years ago.

A spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee said on November 21 that Razvozzhayev led a 1997 robbery against a businessman in the Siberian city of Angarsk.

The activist is currently in a Moscow jail facing charges of organizing mass riots aimed at overthrowing the government.

Those charges are part of a wider investigation into opposition activists, sparked by allegations made against them in a recent documentary aired on state-controlled Russian television.

Razvozzhayev claims he was kidnapped in Ukraine, smuggled back to Russia, and tortured into falsely confessing to plotting antigovernment activities.

His case has raised serious concerns among human rights advocates.

Based on reporting by AP, Interfax, and ITAR-TASS