Russian opposition leaders have appealed against a Moscow court's rejection of a lawsuit brought against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
On February 14, the Moscow Savyolovsky District Court rejected a defamation suit initiated by Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Milov and Vladimir Ryzhkov against Putin and the state-owned TV channel Rossiya 1.
"Today we received a writ of appeal from the plaintiffs, who demand that the court reconsider its rejection of the lawsuit against Putin", a court spokesman said.
The opposition leaders asked the court to fine the premier and the TV channel 1 million rubles ($34,000) after Putin said in his annual televised call-in session on December 16 that opposition members were involved in stealing billions from Russia in the turbulent 1990s.
Putin also alleged that if they ever gained power, they would "sell out the entire country."
Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister turned opposition leader, made the headlines in January when he was arrested after an anti-Kremlin rally in Moscow's Triumfalnaya Square on New Year's Eve and sentenced to 15 days in jail for "disobeying police instructions."
MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti)
