The municipal council in Yoskhar-Ola, the capital of Russia's Mari El Republic, has canceled the mandate of lawmaker Anton Sokolov, who openly criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The council said it made the move on January 12 because Sokolov has been absent at the council's sessions without explanation for six months. Sokolov, who has been in Germany since mid-2023, called the council's move "illegal." According to him, nobody asked him about his absence, while he has been attending courses on urban issues in Germany. Last year, Sokolov, 35, signed petitions calling for a stop to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and urging President Vladimir Putin to resign. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
Municipal Council In Russia's Yoshkar-Ola Annuls Mandate Of Anti-War Lawmaker
Russian regional lawmaker Anton Sokolov (file photo)