Russian opposition politician Kasyanov hit with cake in Moscow
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 9 February 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian opposition politician Kasyanov hit with cake in Moscow, 9 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/570cdec815.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 09, 2016
By RFE/RL
Russian opposition politician and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov (file photo)
Russian opposition politician Mikhail Kasyanov says he was attacked by a group of men who threw a cake at him while he dined in a Moscow restaurant on February 9.
Two men approached Kasyanov, a former prime minister under President Vladimir Putin and now a Kremlin critic, at around 9:30 p.m. and berated him for his political views before throwing the cake in his face, he told Russian media outlets.
Restaurant security intervened, but the assailants managed to flee the scene along with a large group of other men in four separate automobiles, the press service of Kasyanov's opposition PARNAS party said.
Kasyanov, who was unharmed in the incident, told Kommersant that he had filed a police complaint due to what he considers "a threat to my life and security."
Several of Kasyanov's supporters said they believed the men were from Russia's restive Chechnya region.
The incident follows last week's Instagram post by the volatile head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, featuring video footage of Kasyanov and a fellow opposition activist framed through what appeared to be a sniper's crosshairs.
Kasyanov said he believes the incident in the restaurant was tied to his request that federal authorities investigate Kadyrov's Instagram post.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Kommersant, rbc.ru, and Dozhd TV
Link to original story on RFE/RL website