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Duma puts sanction against oppositionist Dmitry Gudkov to vote without preliminary debate

The Duma is expected to announce a final decision at around 5.00 pm Tuesday

MOSCOW, April 9 (Itar-Tass) – The State Duma has put the proposed punishment to deputy Dmitry Gudkov, as a result of which he will be deprived of the right of speech for one month, to the vote without a preliminary debate on Tuesday. The Duma is expected to announce a final decision at around 5.00 pm Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday when the Duma endorsed the agenda of Tuesday' debates Gudkov said he did not understand why he had been denied to speak when a resolution accusing him of violating an MP's ethic rules was discussed. Dmitry Gudkov complained that earlier, the Duma Commission on Ethics had discussed his case in a format of "top secrecy", and now he was being denied the right to speak in a plenary session's format either.

"The 5th Duma "was no venue for discussion," and it turned out that the 6th Duma is following suit. A total of 112,937 people had voted for me. What is going on is, above all, disrespect for them," Gudkov declared. He urged to hold a discussion, but the Duma rejected this format.

Earlier, Deputy chief of the Duma Commission on Ethics Andrei Andreyev had called to strip MP Gudkov Jr. of the right of speech for nine successive plenary sessions "for using rude, insulting words in public which infringed on the honor and dignity both of Duma deputies and other persons, and Gudkov's activities demonstrating his obvious neglect of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation."

On March 20 the commission looked into a complaint into Gudkov's conduct in connection with his trip to the U.S. which was lodged by all the four Duma factions. The commission also recommended to Gudkov to apologize and give up his Duma mandate.

The Duma declared in its complaint that a report which Dmitry Gudkov delivered in the United States on March 5, 2013 at the Freedom House forum with the participation of U.S. senators, including author of Magnitsky Bill Jim McGovern, had "a toughly anti- Russian character aimed at discrediting Russia."

Sergei Mironov, leader of the Just Russia party, to which both Dmitry Gudkov and his father, Gennady Gudkov had earlier belonged, strongly criticized Dmitry Gudkov for his " overseas voyage" which Dmitry Gudkov had not coordinated with the Just Russia faction. Both Dmitry Gudkov and his father, Gennady Gudkov, were expelled from the Just Russia party.

Nonetheless, the Just Russia faction has declared they will vote against the proposed denial of the right of speech to Dmitry Gudkov.

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