Opposition Activist Appears In Court, Detention Extended

Jailed opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev (right) in a Moscow court on March 29

A Moscow court has extended the pretrial detention of opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev by as long as four months.

The defendant, who is under investigation for his alleged role in organizing violent protests in Moscow last year, appeared in court on March 25.

After the decision was announced, Razvozzhayev said he felt unwell, and his supporters called an ambulance. Razvozzhayev's lawyer said his client is suffering from high blood pressure.

It was only the second time Razvozzhayev's lawyers had seen him since the end of last month.

He was transferred from a detention center in Siberia to Moscow earlier this month.

Razvozzhayev was arrested last October.

He is charged with organizing Moscow protests allegedly orchestrated by a Georgian politician as well as illegal border-crossing, making a false crime report as well as a false accusation and armed robbery in connection with a 15-year-old incident.

Razvozzhayev says the authorities kidnapped him from Ukraine, brought him back to Russia, and used torture to force him to confess.

Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and Interfax