Russian opposition sues Putin for slander

MOSCOW - Russia’s opposition leaders have said that they were filing defamation suits against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for accusing them of extravagantly spending Russia’s resources.

“This is nothing else but lies and slander. We demand from Putin an apology and a million roubles (�21,200) in compensation,” The Telegraph quoted Boris Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister under late President Boris Yeltsin turned opposition leader, as saying.

“We intend to spend this million to print materials about corruption in Putin’s circle,” he added.

He further said that the first lawsuit had already been sent to a court by mail and another one would be lodged next month.

On being asked earlier about his opinion on what Nemtsov and two other key opposition figures, former MP Vladimir Ryzhkov and former Deputy Energy Minister Vladimir Milov were after, Putin had said: “What do they want? Money and power. They have been pulled away from the trough, they’ve spent all they had, now they would like to return and line their pockets.

“But I think if we allow them to do it they would not limit themselves to mere billions, they will sell off all of Russia,” Putin had told ordinary Russians during the phone-in session that lasted four-and-a-half hours.

He directly accused the opposition politicians of stealing “billions” together with self-exiled Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky. (ANI)