Story By: Anna Guran, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:Central European News
Russian police have arrested two people for desecrating graves after they posted photographs of Vladimir Putin and other celebs on tombstones in the president’s home city.
The incident took place at the Smolensky Lutheran Cemetery, the oldest continuously operating cemetery in the north-western Russian city of Saint Petersburg where President Putin hails from.
According to local media, Maxim Kamakin, the lawyer of one of the suspects, identified as Andrei Zheksimbayev, confirmed that his client is being quizzed under Article 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, considered ‘Outrages upon Bodies of the Deceased and Their Burial Places’.
Meanwhile, the human rights activist Dinar Idrisov said that Zheksimbayev and Pavel Ivankin are being investigated by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and that they are only being questioned at this stage.
According to local media, the tombstones featured photos of President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, rapper Timati, TV presenters Olga Skabeeva and Vladimir Solovyov and several other key politician and public figures.
According to Zheksimbayev’s lawyer, his client maintain his innocence and claims he has an alibi for when the incident took place.
The investigation into the vandalised headstones continues.
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