Russian judge who accepted anti-Putin lawsuit resigns

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW

A Russian judge who allowed a lawsuit to be filed against Russian President Vladimir Putin resigned Friday, an official Russian court statement said.

According to a statement posted on the website of Saratov regional court, Judge Tatyana Leskina’s resignation was accepted Friday after she appeared before an arbitration court last week.

A resident of Saratov on March 11 called for discharging Putin from his presidential post for allegedly impoverishing Russian people while only a select few in the country prospered. The plaintiff also declared the Russian president an "enemy of the Russian people".

Leskina had accepted the lawsuit in her court; however, the court later retracted the plaintiff’s petition on April 7, saying the Russian president enjoyed immunity under the Russian constitution.

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW

A Russian judge who allowed a lawsuit to be filed against Russian President Vladimir Putin resigned Friday, an official Russian court statement said.

According to a statement posted on the website of Saratov regional court, Judge Tatyana Leskina’s resignation was accepted Friday after she appeared before an arbitration court last week.

Leskina had accepted the lawsuit in her court; however, the court later retracted the plaintiff’s petition on April 7, saying the Russian president enjoyed immunity under the Russian constitution.