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Lawmakers to consider stripping colleague of right to speak in parliament for month

Opposition lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov cannot take the floor at the next nine sessions

MOSCOW, April 9 (Itar-Tass) – The State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament on Tuesday will consider a draft resolution to strip A Just Russia lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov of the right to speak in parliament for a month, which implies he cannot take the floor at the next nine sessions.

Gudkov is being disciplined for "gross and insulting remarks" damaging the honor and dignity of the State Duma, as well as for the actions showing obvious contempt of the Federal Assembly, according to the recommendations of the house commission for ethics.

Back on March 20, the commission stripped Gudkov of the right to speak at plenary sessions for a month /which now requires approval by the lower house/, and offered him to publicly apologize and give up his mandate. The decision followed an inquiry by representatives of all the four parliament factions in connection with Gudkov's trip to the United States.

Gudkov's case was reviewed after parliament factions asked to "assess Gudkov's actions in connection with his U.S. trip and his speech on March 5, 2013 at the Freedom House forum, in which U.S. senators took part, including the author of the anti-Russian Magnitsky law James McGovern."

They quoted from the report which they believe was very anti-Russian, "aimed at discrediting our country." For example, the State Duma was called "an obedient parliament" that adopted anti-constitutional laws. The report backed the Magnitsky Act and asked for U.S. support in resolving Russia’s domestic problems.

"We believe lawmaker D.Gudkov's statements call for illegal actions which violate the sovereignty of the Russian state. All the actions by lawmaker Gudkov show his contempt for the requirements set for members of the Russian parliament; they are planned actions against Russian statehood and in effect, are treachery of national interests, whereas a State Duma deputy must protect the interests of his country and voters," Gudkov's opponents said.

A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov criticized Gudkov for not informing his faction about the trip.

On Monday, however, A Just Russia faction decided it would vote against the motion to strip Gudkov of the right to speak in parliament for a month.

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