Russian Panel Eyes Alleged Foreign Interference in Protests

Russia’s lower house of parliament has set up a commission to examine alleged cases of foreign interference in connection with a series of protests against the Moscow city election.
 
The commission established Monday by the State Duma holds its first session on Aug. 30.
 Thousands of people have marched to protest the election board’s exclusion of some opposition and independent candidates from the Sept. 8 Moscow city council election. Two of the unauthorized demonstrations were harshly broken up by police, who detained more than 2,000 people.
 
Andrei Isayev of the dominant United Russia party in the Duma said the interference includes a U.S. Embassy travel warning that publicized the time and venue for the unauthorized protests. He also cited alleged calls by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle on social media to participate in the protests.
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