A source reports from Moscow that Mikhail Schneider, a leader of the Solidarity opposition movement, has been jailed for three days in connection with a demonstration on Russia’s Flag Day, which was held on August 22. He follows to jail Lev Ponomarev, a well known human rights activist, who also received a three day sentence. Previously, a judge effectively ended the case against a third defendant, Boris Nemtsov, sending the file back to the authorities for further investigation. Of the Ponomarev verdict, Boris Nemtsov, also a leader of Solidarity, told Reuters, “It’s a crazy decision. There is no reason why they let me go and jailed Ponomarev. The only explanation is that the judge was pressured by the authorities.”
There is one other explanation for the disparate treatment: Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, is more well-known internationally. He met with President Obama during the president’s visit to Moscow in July 2009. Perhaps the Russian government was fearful of a tough response from the Obama administration if Nemtsov were jailed.
