Wink Bennett
Tens of thousands of protesters in the Russian city of Khabarovsk in the Far East today expressed their support for a local governor.
Governor Sergei Furgal was arrested last week on charges of organizing a criminal group that carried out a series of assassinations of businessmen 15 years ago.
Demonstrators flood the streets to protest the arrest of Governor Furgal in the city of Khabarovsk, in the Far East, Russia, on July 18. Photo: AFP.
The protesters carried placards with the words "Freedom for Furgal" and shouted the slogan "If united, we will be invincible!".
"This is our governor! We will protect him," the protester shouted.
Last weekend, thousands of people also flocked to the streets of Khabarovsk to protest the arrest of Furgal.
Gov. Furgal, 50, has denied the allegations, which, according to his supporters, stemmed from political motives.
Furgal was a member of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and was elected as a member of parliament at the Khabarovsk region legislature from 2005 to 2007. He has been a member of the Russian national Duma (Russian Chamber of Deputies) since 2007.
In September 2018, Furgal was sworn in as governor of Khabarovsk region.
