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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 4 september 2019

Russian investigators drop charges against 5 protesters

By NATALIYA VASILYEVA row I will go home,” Aban-
Associated Press ichev, who works as a sales
MOSCOW (AP) — Five pro- manager, said upon re-
testers who were arrested lease. He said that he was
and charged with rioting not given an explanation
connected to recent anti- for his release or an apol-
government rallies walked ogy, but merely told that
free on Tuesday after Rus- he is no longer accused of
sian investigators dropped rioting.
the charges against them. Abanichev said that the
Separately, two protest- investigators had tried to
ers who accepted a plea make him confess to the vi-
bargain were given jail olence he did not commit.
sentences in an expedited He credited wide public
trial. support and media cover-
The Investigative Commit- age for his release.
tee’s decision to drop the Earlier on Tuesday, a Mos-
charges marks a U-turn in cow district court sen-
what has largely been seen tenced Ivan Podkopayev
as a widening crackdown and Danil Beglets, both 25,
on Russia’s opposition and to three and two years in
its supporters. Fourteen prison, respectively, for us-
people, mostly with no his- In this photo taken on Aug. 10, 2019, Vyacheslav Abanichev and Alisa Abanicheva, parents of ing force against the po-
tory of political activism, Sergei Abanichev charged with rioting connected to an opposition rally, hold a poster saying lice.
have been charged with “Free My Son” with the names of all those arrested as they attend an opposition rally in Moscow, The court held an expe-
rioting, which carries up to Russia. dited hearing for both men
eight years in prison. The Associated Press and did not study the evi-
charges relate to an unau- day that they “found no under house arrest. er who had waited outside dence after they accepted
thorized protest on July 27 criminal activities” in the 25-year-old Sergei Aban- together with his father for a plea bargain. The pros-
that was marked by police actions of the five people ichev, who was accused several hours. They found ecutors said in court that
violence. The protesters, and dropped the charges of throwing a paper cup out about Sergei’s impend- Podkopayev sprayed tear
however, weren’t seen at- against them. toward the police and has ing release from an Associ- gas on two police officers
tacking the police, and no The investigators also said been in jail for a month, ated Press reporter several while Beglets grabbed an
property damage was re- that they have asked the walked out of a police sta- hours earlier. officer by the wrist, alleged-
ported. court to release two more tion Tuesday evening to “I would go to sleep every ly trying to prevent another
The investigators said Tues- suspects who have been embrace his sobbing moth- night, thinking that tomor- protester’s arrest.q

South Korean reporters grill minister nominee for 11 hours

Associated Press Cho Kuk, a law professor ring wealth to his children
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) and Moon’s former secre- and made dubious invest-
— South Korean report- tary for civil affairs, denied ments in a private equity
ers have grilled President allegations that his daugh- fund while he served in the
Moon Jae-in’s nominee for ter received special treat- presidential office. Cho’s
justice minister for 11 hours ment in her admissions to a news conference at the
over suspected ethical top university in Seoul and National Assembly in Seoul
lapses surrounding his fam- a medical school in Busan. was abruptly arranged af-
ily that have triggered an Cho, who for years built an ter his parliamentary con-
intense political row and image as a reform-mind- firmation hearing set for
cut into Moon’s popularity ed anti-elitist, also denied Monday and Tuesday fell
ratings. At a news confer- wrongdoing over claims through amid political bick- In this Sept. 2, 2019 photo, Cho Kuk, a nominee for South Korea’s
ence that continued until that his family attempted to ering between ruling and Justice Minister, answers a reporter’s question at National
the early hours of Tuesday, evade taxes while transfer- opposition parties.q Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. Associated Press