Russian opposition activist Maltsev leaves Russia - opposition member
MOSCOW. July 4 (Interfax) - Opposition activist Vyacheslav Maltsev has left Russia after a criminal case was opened against him, Denis Romanov of the New Opposition movement said.
"Maltsev is abroad now, a criminal case has been opened against him for setting up the extremist society Artpodgotovka [Artillery Preparation]," Romanov told Interfax on Tuesday.
Maltsev attempted to travel to Moldova through Ukraine but was not allowed to enter Ukrainian territory, and it is unclear where exactly he is now, but he has already crossed the Russian border, Romanov said.
"His plans at the moment are to find a city not far from Russia where he could stay and continue broadcasts of his channel," he said.
Maltsev has repeatedly attended events held by the New Opposition, a union of the liberals, democrats and nationalists set up in 2016.
On April 13, Maltsev, who was nominated from the Parnas party as a candidate at the State Duma election in the autumn of 2016, said that law enforcement officials came to his flat in Saratov with a search warrant and detained him after the search. Maltsev has provided a webcast of his detention and search in his flat, which, according to the documents, were carried out based on a ruling by Moscow's Basmanny District Court.
Maltsev had a heart attack after being detained and was taken to Moscow under medical observation, Roman Kovalyov, a representative of the New Opposition movement, said.
On April 14, Moscow's Tverskoy District Court found Maltsev guilty of failure to obey a lawful demand of a police officer (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code) and gave him 15 days of administrative arrest.
On June 12, Maltsev was detained during demonstrations in central Moscow. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow sentenced him to ten days of arrest for disobedience of police.
