Pamphlet Critical Of St. Petersburg's Governor Confiscated

The pamphlets analyzed the performance of St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Unknown people have confiscated thousands of pamphlets from Russian opposition activists in St. Petersburg, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

Olga Kurnosova, the leader of the opposition United Civic Front in St. Petersburg, told RFE/RL that she was driving back to St. Petersburg from Moscow -- where a pamphlet analyzing St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko was printed -- when her car was stopped by several people.

She and her driver were forced out of the car while the perpetrators confiscated thousands of copies of a pamphlet titled "Matviyenko. The Results."

Kurnosova said none of the people involved in the incident showed any identification.

She added that the situation is similar to what happened earlier this year when unknown attackers took the entire print run of her movement's newspaper before it could be distributed.

Kurnosova says the pamphlet was full of facts and analyses of "the sad results of Matviyenko's activities as St. Petersburg's leader."